it was the same old me

with the same old blues / but then...

A sermon from Jesus' first miracle at the wedding in Cana: 

A bit of a post-holiday hangover usually sets in about now. Doesn’t it? The joy and expectation of that wintertide trinity of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s are all now behind us. And all that lies ahead of us is a long and barren stretch of a frigid January.

Now, if that’s not you at the moment, go ahead and disregard the rest of this sermon! Let those visions of sugarplums dance in your head! Savor the succor of obliviousness. Just remember this; eventually, that high will run low. And when it does, reach out to me. Call, text, or email. Say, “Pastor Ryan, what was that sermon about at the beginning of January? I wasn’t paying attention then, and now I’m in this funk I can’t get myself out of. You said this might happen.”

For the rest of us, though, that time for that blissful ignorance has come and gone. Hasn’t it? We’re staring down a desolate stretch of a month. And now we're wondering how in the world we’ll make it through. In fact, as Amanda I were taking down the Christmas decorations, I whined what a mistake it is to load all the holidays at the beginning of winter. I wasn’t up for another cold, hard January just yet.

The rub, though, is that it’s not just the dim prospects that make January such a tiring month. We increase our own hardship! We make it harder on ourselves with the way we try and white-knuckle our way through the grind that is January! Our go-to method for making headway through those tough times has a hole! And a critical one at that! 

I’m talking about, of course, willpower, New Years’ resolutions, and the like. And even if you don’t set such intentions at the start of your year, you still try and power your life with that same old fossil fuel of your own personal resolve. We all do. Resolutions or not, we all have to-do lists longer than our arm. We all try to manage our lives by the power of our own sheer effort alone. 

The problem with this approach, though, is no matter what, and often at the most inopportune times, the fuel tank of our determination runs dry. Like fossil fuels, our exertion is a finite resource. And on any given Sunday in January, we’re all running precariously low. Aren’t we?

…For the happy couple in today’s Scripture, the fuel for managing their life gave out at their wedding reception. Weddings, of course, are supposed to be joyful events. But just like anything else in the hands of sinners, the ceremony becomes just one more occasion for measuring. 

So when the wine gave out, it wasn’t just the libations that proved insufficient. Was it? So did that wedding couple. All their self-worth and social currency were wrapped up into that big day. When the wine that greased the wheel of their social interactions ran out, so did the way the couple asserted their worth. Those empty wine vats threatened to become a harbinger of their future and a judgment upon their past. 

And, one way or another, that’s the threshold we’re all pushing today. Isn’t it? For heaven’s sake, isn’t that what the testing ground of January is all about!? Wedding or not, we’re all in the same bind as the couple in today’s Scripture. We’re all facing some the shortfall of something that we’ve relied upon to move our lives along.

Which means, I suppose, the only question is, where is it in your life that that gauge is tilting toward empty? What is that wine in your life that is about to give out? Or perhaps, more than likely, like the wedding couple, you’ve already come up empty. And like Jesus’ mother, you’re worried about what will happen once everyone else finds out. Or, maybe, even that point has already come and gone for you. You’re sitting on the curb after running out of the fuel that got your life from point a to point b.

Whatever your situation may be, though, take a moment to call it to mind. We all have them. And don’t worry, if Jesus didn’t shame that couple in today’s Scripture, he’s not about to same you today, either. In fact, like today’s Scripture, Jesus is perfectly happy to intervene without a bunch of fanfare. What’s more, he already knows, anyway. Doesn’t he?

So, what is it? What are those coarse and barren jars in your life that could use filling with what Jesus has to offer? Because here’s the thing; as the law of motion states, your depleting resources won’t be enough to move the stationary mass that’s everything this January is about to throw your way. 

But that’s not the only reason to bring your emptiness to Jesus today, either. No, because on the other side of the bad news of your shortage is the exceedingly Good News of Jesus’ abundant grace! Like that wedding in Cana, your empty tank is the perfect vessel for Jesus to reveal his glory in your life! 

As St. Paul and countless others before and after him have experienced, Christ’s grace is sufficient for you! His power is made perfect in your weakness! Therefore, those empty stretches in your January are nothing less than the ideal containers for Jesus to fill to the brim with his grace, mercy, and love!

So, what is it? Go ahead and actually picture that place in your life where the proverbial wine has run out. And I won’t ask you to do something I won’t, either. For me, all this Covid stuff has been a nightmare. Many of my favorite parts of the jobs have been complicated near impossibility. And their place has been filled with some of the most joyless tasks imaginable. What’s more, it wasn’t an equal exchange, either. These Covid protocols lengthened the hours of drudgery and shortened the moments of joy. 

And you know what? Despite the fact that it’s my job is to preach grace week after week, I thought if I could just buckle down firmly enough, I could get through on my own. Maybe even come out better for it. But you know what I gained from all that determination? A pessimism that settled in deeper the more I tried to overcome it. 

And I have to confess, this wasn’t a short-lived lapse, either. I persisted in this unfaithfulness for over a year. And, if I’m being honest, I’m not out of the woods yet, either. What’s more, the temptation to return to that tired, old idol won’t just go away. In fact, nothing I can do will abate it. On the contrary, all my efforts will only exacerbate this predicament.

The only thing that’s helped is admitting how helpless I am! Blessedly, I have folks I can confide in. I have preachers who will proclaim that at the end of all my capabilities is the beginning of Jesus’ endless love! And it’s no different for you, either! In your baptism, the waters of Jesus’ bottomless love have filled your life to the brim!

So, just between you and Jesus, what is it? Where is the wine you’ve been trying to manage your life by running out? 

…And with that shortfall bearing down on each and every last one of us, all that’s left to do is what Jesus’ mother said, “whatever Jesus tells you.” And here it is; Your life is covered by the love of God in Christ! And in this love, you are more than enough! Those empty patches in your life right now, wherever they may be, are the perfect places for Jesus to fill you with himself! His glory, his power, and his love! 

Indeed, grace has led you safe thus far! And grace will lead you home!