Wedding season is upon us which always seem to bring up the issue (in some churches) of the nature of Jesus' first miracle since it took place at a wedding. For some reason, this issue of whether or not Jesus made "real" wine has been one of great contention within the American church. Many Christians will spend more time and energy arguing this than nearly any other cultural issue, so as a pastor, I feel it is my obligation to humbly post my personal commentary (See John 2:1-11 to decide for yourself)...
I've been to many weddings in my life and I've learned that it's really all about the reception. The silent cultural code of ethics states that I will buy a gift, put on a suit, give you a Saturday of my life and sit through typically dry service all to be able to celebrate with you at the reception. The wedding ceremony itself is for the bride, but the reception is for everybody else. That's why we kind of feel cheated when we go through the whole process and then the reception is a lame collection of bad music, stale finger foods, dry cake and warm punch. A wedding reception should be the biggest party on earth, because it's the closest thing we have in this life of the wedding ceremony for the ages we will experience someday when the Bride of Christ (the church) will be joined with Jesus in a perfect union forever.
Jesus knew the significance of a wedding and He realized that it needed to be an all-out celebration. Now comes the question about the "real" wine. Let me put it this way, of all the wedding receptions I've ever been to, I've NEVER been to one where anybody freaked out because they ran out of juice! Personally, it seems very obvious to me from reading the text and looking at the cultural circumstances to see that it wasn't only real wine, but it was excellent wine! Excellence honors God and I don't think we serve a God who "waters down" His miracles. You could dump a bunch of Kool-Aid mix into a pitcher of water and make instant juice, but the miracle comes when a process that by its very nature takes a long time (fermentation) is done instantly.
The real problem with this issue honestly has little to do with the alcohol content of the miracle, but it has everything to do with the dangers of reading ANY particular agenda into the Biblical text. We should all be open enough to let the Truth of God's word speak for itself instead of trying to squeeze God in a box formed from our own cultural leanings, personal experiences and limited worldviews. God is so much bigger than that and we must fight the temptation to brush any complicated issue in the Bible under the rug just to avoid the tension or debate it might bring up.
Paul wrote in the New Testament that as Christians, "all things are permissable for us but not all things are beneficial." In other words, we have unlimited rights, but we must also be willing to lay down those rights to help us reach others. I see absolutely no moral or Biblical objection to moderate alcohol consumption, but if abstaining from drinking can help to keep weaker Christians from stumbling, then it's worth it not to drink. My frustration is when those "weaker Christians" are the modern-day Pharisees who point a judgmental finger at anybody who interprets God's word in a way that is different from their own interpretations.
I look forward to reading your comments on either side of the issue. Thanks.
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7 comments:
Wow Dave, you were up early thinking about this one. I concur!
"Do not assume that abuses are eliminated by destroying the object which is abused. Men can go wrong with wine and women. Shall we then prohibit and abolish women?" Martin Luther.
Of course he was a fan of beer and therefore biased, right?
A good book is God Gave Wine by Kenneth Gentry Jr.
Anthony,
Thanks for the comments. When are you going to start your blog? I look forward to reading your insights. You da man!
Dave
Dave... I'm obsessed with reading blogs. Glad you added a new one to the list.
You tackle such a hot topic early on. I'm impressed. A preface: my mother cried when she discovered I had a margarita on my 21st birthday.
Your moderate stance is refreshing to me, and I think is refreshing to people we are trying to reach for Christ. I'm not saying Christian young folks should spend every night at the bar. I do think it's detrimental to go around screaming at my friends who do drink often, and making a ruckus if someone were to offer me a Bud, or heaven forbid drink one in my presence. I guess it's all an attempt to avoid the "crazy Christian" label, and instead carry Christ with you in all situations. Making sure to remember that Jesus turning water into wine isn't an excuse to belly up to the bar, but knowing a hard line on gray issues can turn people away when they need God most. Not sure going out for beers after a long day at the church is a good way to spread the message though ;).
So you're next post is social drinking as a witnessing tool. GO!
yes.....i love this blog dude guy
chris
I agree with your points and share the same concerns and frustrations.
Here's something to note about the passage: This is Jesus' first recorded miracle. But, look how his mom asks Him to help, and tells the servants "do whatever He asks." It's like she knows what He's going to do. I conclude that she must have seen him do miracles before. Makes you wonder.
I'll drink to that.
Rene and I are really happy that you feel the same way we do about weddings too. We'll try and keep the finger food from getting cold.
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