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          <TD VALIGN="TOP">            <p align="center"><span class="sermonTitle">Third Sunday after Epiphany </span><br>
              <span class="standardText">John 2:1-12
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            <div align="center" class="standardTextBold">The Lord of Delight 
            </div>            <p class="standardText">Our Gospel passage for today takes place during the first week of our Lord's ministry. The wine has run out at the wedding of Cana. Mary, his mother urges Jesus to rescue the situation. Jesus orders that the servants bring in the six vats of purification water that sit in the entryway. He turns all 180 gallons of water into wine, the very best wine. The wedding party continues on. The host is astounded, the guests are cheered. A precious celebration is prolonged. </p>
            <p class="standardText">What is the meaning of the wine at Cana? Many things, but most importantly it looks back to Eden and points forward to the future restoration of creation. At the end of Time we look for King Jesus to come again. He will return for His bride, the Church. And what immediately follows that Second Coming and the Final Judgment? God the Father will host the Marriage Banquet of the Lamb. That is a feast where Jesus promises that He will drink wine anew with us (Luke 22:18; Mark 14:25). Hence, the turning of water into wine was a sign. It was a sign of delight to the wedding attendees of Cana. A sign that Jesus is the Lord of delight; a picture of the joyous, blessed pleasure of Christ's kingdom. On this 3rd Sunday after Epiphany let us ponder the underpinnings of the Kingdom of God. They set guidelines for Christian living and economics. </p>
            <p class="standardText">We have already connected Jesus' fine-wine miracle to creation. Let's explore that further. Of course, God created everything in six days: light, land, sky and seas, the heavenly cosmos; He made the earthly collection of plants, animals and man. After His week of work "God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good" (Genesis 1:31). God evaluated His work and gave it a 10. He granted it a joyous blessing. Like an artist, He gazed admiringly upon the whole creation and was pleased to say that all of it was very good. The passage almost overflows with the love and joy that God feels as He brings forth this world. And what about man and woman, the crown of creation, His very image and likeness? He sets Adam and Eve in the finest region, the Garden of Eden. Four rivers splash through it. Hither and thither precious stones lie strewn. A veritable farmers' market of fruit and vegetables thrive, and God gives them permission to eat of every tree of the Garden. This is more than the bare necessities; Eden is a picture of extravagant excess. </p>
            <p class="standardText">Was that all, two people basking in a garden paradise forever? No, not at all. They were to multiply and exercise dominion over creation. That is, they were to dream great dreams as they productively extended the Garden over the face of the earth. Eden was only the beginning. God told them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it." By means of creativity and hard work they would flourish. They would reap the fruits of their labor and take human pleasure in the whole of life. Sadly, the Serpent tempted Adam and Eve with disobedience. Adam fell into sin and death and dragged down with him all humanity and creation. Did the Fall change the original plan? No. It would be much more difficult. But Eden was still the goal for earth. Revelation 22 portrays edenic conditions at the end of time. God sent His son to redeem man and restore him to Eden. Jesus' turning water into wine at Cana was several things: it was an emphatic affirmation of the goodness of creation; it was an invitation to delight in that creation; and it was a sign pointing to the redemption of the cosmos. </p>
            <p class="standardText">[For the above insight and others that follow, I am indebted to John Schneider's <em>The Good of Affluence: Seeking God in a Culture of Wealth </em>. Other important works along these lines are: David Chilton's <em>Productive Christians in an Age of Guilt Manipulators </em>; Dinesh D'Souza, <em>The Virtue of Prosperity </em>; Michael Novak's <em>The Spirit of Democratic Capitalism </em>; and Hernando de Soto's, <em>The Mystery of Capital </em>.] </p>
            <p class="standardText">The exodus story reinforces these ideas. As is known, the Children of Israel were enslaved in Egypt under the tyrant Pharoah. Their lot was abject poverty. What was God's solution? It was liberation from Egypt to the Promised Land. The pillar by day and the fire by night would conduct them to a second Eden flowing with milk and honey. Jehovah's goal was to lead a whole people into a rich land to become an extremely wealthy nation. We get a description of it in Deut. 8:7-10. [Reading that passage.] </p>
            <p class="standardText">God's purpose in setting His people free from slavery and poverty was, at bottom, linked with His larger purpose for human beings in the beginning. It was to place them in conditions where they might be free to cultivate a spirituality and materiality of true dominion and delight. If they were obedient to God, compassionate to others, and humble worshippers of the Lord, the result would be a situation of spiritual blessing and material affluence. The Exodus story teaches us that material wealth brings empowerment, strength and freedom. Poverty brings powerlessness and leaves people trapped and helpless to change their dilemma. A full-orbed, physical and spiritual shalom is the vision of life that God has for His people. Many Old Testament figures attained that vision: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Job, King David and others. </p>
            <p class="standardText">No doubt, wealth can be misused. Cruel indifference can afflict the rich. We must acknowledge that. Most big corporations today couldn't care less about moral goodness, as long as they make a buck. Raunchy movies and pornographic commercials are examples of that. The prophet Amos condemned the opulent rulers of his day for they evinced no grief "over the ruin of Joseph" (Amos 6:6). Surrounded by economic ruin (possibly starvation at their very doors) the rich rulers under King Jeroboam had closed their eyes to the plight of the poor. They had lost touch with brokenness and so they had lost their own souls. Their celebrations had become frivolous, disgusting, and pathetic displays of self-indulgence. In their case, legitimate delight had turned into ugly indulgence. What is the remedy for such cold-bloodedness? The law of God helps. The law links delight with compassion. Over and again, the laws of the Pentateuch make special provision for the widow, the orphan, the poor, the alien, and the one who sojourns without a home. For example, fields were not supposed to be harvested near the borders. Landowners were to leave grain and fruit around the edges so that the "poor and the sojourner" might glean from the remains (Lev. 19:9-10; 23:22). Israelites were not to abuse the stranger or sojourner, but instead to "love him or her as yourself" (Lev. 19:33-34). The ruler was not to tax more than 10% of anyone's income (1 Samuel 8:15). The law stipulated three big feasts where orphans, widows, and foreigners were invited (Deut. 16). Every seventh year was declared a Sabbath year. Not only the earth was to get a rest, but the animals and slaves as well. So we see that a concern for the poor and powerless (including the earth and animals) is indeed in the very soul of the law. Godly delight is full of mercy; godly dominion sets the creation free from harm. The law promotes the dignity of all. </p>
            <p class="standardText">What about the New Testament? Did Jesus renounce the Old Testament vision? Does God's plan of redemption shift from affluence to poverty? From delight and dominion to austerity and asceticism? Some people believe that it does. At first glance it seems that Jesus grew up in poverty. "Foxes have holes and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head (Luke 8:58). He called His disciples to leave all and follow Him. He identified with the poor while repeatedly condemning the rich. The encounter with the rich young ruler is a case in point. He is a paragon of worldly success, the epitome of the rich. He comes to Jesus asking, "what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" (Luke 18:18-29) He claims to have obeyed all the commandments. But Jesus answers, "Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." The man turns away from Jesus sad. He didn't want to do it. Greed and covetousness had a stranglehold on him. Jesus sums up everything with, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." </p>
            <p class="standardText">How are we to interpret such negative statements about wealth? The most obvious, literal explanation is the ascetic one. It is that Jesus did indeed renounce the classical Old Testament vision, and that He believed that simply having possessions (not to mention enjoying them) was to secure spiritual death. That's one way to look at it. However, historic Christianity (even its monastic branches) has wisely understood that this interpretation cannot be true. The main reason is that it makes the material world a realm that is inherently evil. Only the Gnostic heretics accepted that conclusion. (Schneider p. 148) </p>
            <p class="standardText">But if Jesus did not believe that the material world was essentially a realm of evil, again, how are we to interpret His demand in these radical texts? The Church has come up with several methods to try to deal with this. Jesus said, "Sell all that you own and distribute the money to the poor." The monastic interpretation sees this verse as a recommendation, a counsel, not a commandment for everyone to obey. It is better, but it is not mandatory. However, if you desire a superior path of spirituality and morality then you must sell all that you have, give it to the poor, and withdraw from the world. St. Augustine had a slightly different twist. He backed away from a full scale condemnation of personal possessions and the acquisition of property. Under the correct circumstances it should be allowed. But Augustine drove a distinction between "use" and "enjoyment." (Schneider p. 27) For him, it was good to use material wealth but not to enjoy it. Proper use, he argued, was to apply one's wealth to meeting one's basic physical needs, and then to make everything left over available to the church and to the poor. To enjoy wealth was thus simply wrong. Money was only good for bare existence. Augustine's view on faith and wealth endured all the way through the Middle Ages and the Protestant Reformation. Calvin began to promote a more balanced opinion. Some modern theologians advocate a view similar to Augustine's. They believe in cutting back and "simple living." Christians are strongly urged to bring their standard of living down to extremely low levels. The radicals have become socialists who believe that capitalism is no better than organized crime. They want the state to eliminate the gap between rich people ( and nations) and poor people (and nations) by redistributing wealth and abolishing private property. </p>
            <p class="standardText">It took the Church quite a while before she finally took a look at free market principles. Of all people, it was Jonathan Edwards and the Puritans who started seeing that wealth could be enjoyed. How was that? They had rediscovered the Old Testament classical vision found in creation, exodus, promised land and the feasts of Deuteronomy. They recovered the Hebrew worldview. Using natural law, the Roman Catholics started tolerating the acquisition and enjoyment of material possessions in 1891. That year Pope Leo XIII published his encyclical <em>Rerum Novarum </em>. Pope John Paul II reinforced a free market perspective with his own encyclical 100 years later. ( <em>Centissimus Annus </em>, 1991) The economic ideas promoted by Pope John II and conservative Calvinists have become a loose-knit movement (The Acton Institute, for instance), but it should not be confused with the prosperity gospel. These are the same people who believe that if you have enough faith you will never become ill. Likewise, they seem to feel that if you have enough faith you will always end up affluent. The health and wealth gospel is sloppy, absurd theology. </p>
            <p class="standardText">How do we explain Jesus' words, "Sell all that you own and distribute the money to the poor?" How do we abandon all for Christ? It appears best to interpret it in a spiritual sense. When Jesus proclaims the beatitude, "Blessed are the poor in spirit" it seems natural to construe that as spiritual poverty, theological poverty, not literal destitution. The same goes for the mandate to abandon all for the Lord. </p>
            <p class="standardText">Furthermore, the debacle of the rich young ruler in Luke 18 is followed by the parable of the Minas in Luke 19. A Nobleman, who represents God, travels to a far country. Before he departs he gives his servants ten minas. While he is away he tells them, "Do business till I come" (Luke 19:13). However, one of the servants hides his mina. He was a coward, and upon the nobleman's return, that servant was severely punished. Moreover, the notion that Jesus grew up in poverty, and identified with the poor, is a myth. Jesus grew up in a healthy, two-parent, middle-class family. He, his father and brothers were involved in a construction enterprise. Modern research has discovered that at the time of Christ's youth Herod Antipas ordered Galilee rebuilt. Most probably the family construction company participated in a booming building market. Jesus identified with Joseph of Arimathea, Lazarus, Zaccheus, and other wealthy and middle-class people just as much as He identified with the poor. He identified with all classes. </p>
            <p class="standardText">The Lord's miracle of turning water into fine wine at the wedding suggests that some excess is a blessing. Jesus affirmed the goodness of creation. In Christ's kingdom there are enjoyments; there are pleasures. In fellowship with Him, people feasted and flourished as never before. The land of Judea had many poor people, yet Jesus creates 180 gallons of exquisite wine and He wants it enjoyed at a celebration. He did not regard it as unhealthy materialism, or rank hedonism to celebrate so exuberantly. </p>
            <p class="standardText">Here is a good question. Would Jesus disapprove reading a good book, owning a great painting, driving a car of near perfect performance, listening to a great concerto, buying a new dress, grilling steaks in the back yard, having one's hair done well, a round of golf, playing baseball, let's not forget Christmas morning around the Christmas tree? Would He disapprove all these activities? They go beyond a human being's basic needs. They involve delight. Our Lord applauds them if they are done in the right spirit. Jesus approves them for He is the Lord of Delight. </p>
            <p class="standardText">Furthermore, if believers have the ability to create wealth, we should view it as a good. The economic world is a battlefield, and it takes wit, bravery, and a strong will to persevere and make money. (Schneider p. 190) The Church encourages godly entrepreneurs. It is a calling. They are a blessing to the people they hire, the services they render, and the wealth they create. On the other hand, those who devote themselves to mindless and obsessive consumption have upside down priorities. They are enslaved to the idol of greed. </p>
          <p class="standardText">Our Gospel passage for this third Sunday after Epiphany calls us to see Jesus Christ as the Lord of Delight. His vision for creation was linked to Eden. His vision of redemption was material and spiritual. This creation is good. He created us to enjoy it, to take delight in it. Come now the Eucharist. This meal points to your future. It points to pure eternal joy. If you belong to the Church, the bride of Christ, you will one day feast at the Marriage Banquet of the Lamb. </p>            <p class="standardText"><a href="../sermons03.htm">Return to Sermons</a></p></TD>
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