"Finding Christ in Unexpected Places"
Jan. 26, 2019
On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus also was invited to the wedding with His disciples.
~ John 2:1-2 (ESV)
It seems strange, doesn't it, that the God and Creator of all revealed Himself in something as common and ordinary as a wine shortage during a wedding feast for an unnamed bride and groom in a small, forgotten town.
Doesn't it seem that our lives are often dominated by common, ordinary things: reading assignments, writing papers, and taking tests for classes; or drudging off to work day after day, struggling to pay all the bills each month; or going from one doctor's visit to another? Do you find it hard to imagine the God who governs the universe wanting to be found in the petty grind of your daily life?
It may seem strange, but Jesus' presence at the wedding at Cana shows precisely that. On earth our Savior didn't just participate in glimmering, historic moments when huge crowds gathered around to hang on His every word. He stood shoulder to shoulder, side by side with the people going about their daily lives in the small towns and villages where He went.
So much of our lives are made up of unexciting, uninspiring moments—just like a hamster running on a wheel that keeps spinning round and round in his cage.
But Jesus knows exactly how that feels. From His older childhood until He was nearly 30, He labored in Joseph's carpenter shop in Nazareth. By the sweat of His brow, He sharpened His skills and built His reputation (see Mark 6:3). But even when He set aside His carpenter tools to begin His ministry for us, Jesus didn't abandon the ordinary spaces of life. He entered the homes of tax collectors, and He ate with prostitutes and other sinners. He preached in small synagogues and taught in crowded houses. He slept in boats and spent hours praying in solitary places.
Even as He made the sacrifice for our sins, our Savior humbled Himself to be slapped, mocked, spat upon, struck, whipped, crowned with thorns, and then nailed to the cross between two condemned criminals. It's not the kind of life we'd expect from the Son of God, certainly not a death any of us would have anticipated. But it was precisely in this degradation and humiliation that Jesus revealed His great power to save us. His resurrection on the third day transforms our daily lives with the promise of His continual presence and the guarantee we will live together with Him in heaven.
As we go about our daily lives, especially in our lowly, dusty service to family and neighbors"—those unspectacular events that make up our days"—we glorify our God, demonstrating His love and concern through our words, actions, and attitudes. We do this not just in the grand and glorious moments of life, but especially in the modest, simple, and mundane moments.
THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank You for being present in all the moments of my life: both high and low. Fill me with love and gratitude that I may be present in the lives of my family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers to share with them the glories of Your salvation. Amen.
A sermon excerpt by Dr. Gregory Seltz, former Speaker of The Lutheran Hour. Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
It seems strange, doesn't it, that the God and Creator of all revealed Himself in something as common and ordinary as a wine shortage during a wedding feast for an unnamed bride and groom in a small, forgotten town.
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