Wedding: Matt Organ and Diana Arratia
Genesis 2:7, 18-24; Ephesians 5:22-33; St John 2:1-11
In the Name + of JESUS. Amen.
People loved by God, today you attend two weddings! One at Cana and a second right here in Indianapolis. You do not know either of these couples very well. Matthew and Diana, for whom you have been praying intended all along to be married here, just not today. The Lord and Marion County had other plans. As the Proverb says, The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps (16:9). In any case, we are privileged to be present for this joyous occasion.
The couple getting married in Cana, however, is not named. None of the guests or servants are. Not even the Mother of our Lord. In fact, you aren’t told anything about them. You don’t know how old they are. How they met. Nothing. Maybe these two weddings are more similar than first thought. Yet you are privileged to attend both.
For in truth you know the groom quite well. According to the Lord’s standards he is supposed to love his wife sacrificially, as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her. But he won’t be able to do it because he won’t be able to leave his other love - himself. He is called to love her unconditionally. Not because she’s earned it or because she makes him happy or because she’s thin enough or pretty enough. That’s the conditional love of merit.
He’s called to love her for the sake of Christ. And that means loving her when she’s at her worst. When she’s in one of those moods. When she’s unreasonable. When she’s unlovable.
And he’ll fail. Every husband does. He is expected by God to be the leader in the marriage, the one responsible for its success. But too often he’ll let her lead. He’s called to see his bride as God sees her, radiant and without blemish, as one for whom Christ shed His blood. But he’ll see her faults and keep track of them.
You know the bride too. According to God’s standards her calling is to receive the love of her husband as the Church receives the love of Christ. Her calling is to submit to the gracious Word of her husband as the Church submits to the Word of Christ. And she’ll fail. Every wife does.
In God’s arrangement, as He ordained it in Eden, the husband is the head of the marriage. But she won’t like that one bit. She’ll always think she knows better than God and that she can do it better. She is called to respect her husband, honor him, speak well of him, love him with all her heart, even when he’s stubborn and difficult, sarcastic and cranky. Instead she’ll complain about him. She’ll question God’s wisdom; “Why do I have to submit to him in a way that he doesn’t have to submit to me?” She’ll fight against her first love too: herself.
No, we don’t know their names, but we know who they are. Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Jacob and Rachel, David and Bathsheba. Matthew and Diana. You and your spouse. Whoever they are they are embarking on something that sin has made difficult: Two selfish sinners living in close proximity to each other under the same rood until death parts them? Two sinners being imitators of God, as beloved children, and walking in love as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us? It’d probably be easier to turn water into wine.
But there is hope for that anonymous couple. The same hope for Matthew and Diana today. The only hope for a successful marriage. Its the One person at the wedding at Cana who is named. The One who established marriage in the beginning and who honors it by His presence in Cana. the One who takes center stage today, even in this different and interesting Sunday Divine Service. It’s Jesus. The One whose name means, “God is Savior.”
And when the hour came for Him to save that wedding reception from social disaster, He did it. He manifested His glory by turning 180 gallons of hand-washing water into 180 gallons of wine that gladdens the hearts of men. When His hour came at Cana to do His first sign, He did it. He saved the Groom’s reputation. He blessed the Master of the Feast, the servants, the guests, His Mother’s prayer. Jesus did all the work, everyone else received the benefit and the Groom got all the glory. Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.
The best move that couple made was putting Jesus on the invitation list. The best move Matthew and Diana can make, that any couple can make, is to invite Jesus to the marriage. For where Jesus is invited, everyone benefits, and people begin to look good. Mary looks for giving that advice to do whatever Jesus says. The servants look good for serving excellent wine. The Master of the Feast comes off looking good. And all because of Jesus’ presence.
Jesus, the Only one named at Cana, is here for you today. Not just for Matt and Diana’s wedding, but for you. Jesus, whose name means “God is Savior.” And He has saved you. In Jesus husbands and wives who have dishonored marriage by their behavior are forgiven and an arrangement that is seemingly impossible is made possible. Jesus, going in-between and uniting.
In Jesus, the reputations of divorced people are repaired and restored before God. In Jesus even sinful singles, sinful widows and widowers, even disobedient children, are saved and blessed and glorified. Jesus has bailed us all out.
For when an even more important hour came for Him to save you, He did it. He manifested His glory. It was a wedding and a reception like none other, but not like at Cana. Instead of being surrounded by laughing and music, He was surrounded by sneering and spitting enemies who demanded His death. Instead of everyone being happy and drinking, He tasted our death so that He could cry, I thirst, as they offered Him sour wine.
When His greatest hour came servants were not filling up water jars to the brim, but God the Father was filling to the brim a cup of anger, filled with your sins, so that Jesus could drink it and die, so that you might receive the cup of blessing, be forgiven, blessed and forever glorified.
Upon the Cross, this heavenly Bridegroom, this Second Adam, was put into the deep sleep of death and the Father took what came from His side to form and fashion a beloved and radiant Bride for Him. There He was forsaken by His Father, left His Mother, and held fast to His Bride the Church. Washed with water with the Word, presented to Him in splendor, holy and without blemish. You are called Christian, for you were taken out of Christ.
Water into wine. Water and Word. Bread and Wine. Water and Blood. Behold, people loved by God, and come up to the Head Table at this Wedding Feast, the Lord’s Table, were He not only does signs, but He gives signs. Gracious signs of His favor toward you. Signs that He is for you and not against you. Signs like the water of Holy Baptism, through which you are rescued. Signs like bread and wine, His Body and Blood, given and shed for you. Jesus has done all the work, but you, His baptized and beloved children, received all the blessing and all the glory.
That nameless couple at Cana looked good because they put Jesus on the invitation list. This couple, Matt and Diana, will do well to keep Jesus on the invitation list. All husbands and wives joined together by and in Christ Himself, keep Him on the invitation list. For where He is invited, everyone benefits.
Yet even better is that God knows your sin and yet you still remain on the invitation list to the Marriage Feast of the Lamb in His Kingdom that has no end. Come. “Soul adorn yourself with gladness, leave the gloomy haunts of sadness, come into the daylight splendor, there with joy your praises render. Bless the One who grace unbounded this amazing banquet founded; He though heav’nly, high, and holy, deigns to dwell with you most lowly.”
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Genesis 2:7, 18-24; Ephesians 5:22-33; St John 2:1-11
In the Name + of JESUS. Amen.
People loved by God, today you attend two weddings! One at Cana and a second right here in Indianapolis. You do not know either of these couples very well. Matthew and Diana, for whom you have been praying intended all along to be married here, just not today. The Lord and Marion County had other plans. As the Proverb says, The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps (16:9). In any case, we are privileged to be present for this joyous occasion.
The couple getting married in Cana, however, is not named. None of the guests or servants are. Not even the Mother of our Lord. In fact, you aren’t told anything about them. You don’t know how old they are. How they met. Nothing. Maybe these two weddings are more similar than first thought. Yet you are privileged to attend both.
For in truth you know the groom quite well. According to the Lord’s standards he is supposed to love his wife sacrificially, as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her. But he won’t be able to do it because he won’t be able to leave his other love - himself. He is called to love her unconditionally. Not because she’s earned it or because she makes him happy or because she’s thin enough or pretty enough. That’s the conditional love of merit.
He’s called to love her for the sake of Christ. And that means loving her when she’s at her worst. When she’s in one of those moods. When she’s unreasonable. When she’s unlovable.
And he’ll fail. Every husband does. He is expected by God to be the leader in the marriage, the one responsible for its success. But too often he’ll let her lead. He’s called to see his bride as God sees her, radiant and without blemish, as one for whom Christ shed His blood. But he’ll see her faults and keep track of them.
You know the bride too. According to God’s standards her calling is to receive the love of her husband as the Church receives the love of Christ. Her calling is to submit to the gracious Word of her husband as the Church submits to the Word of Christ. And she’ll fail. Every wife does.
In God’s arrangement, as He ordained it in Eden, the husband is the head of the marriage. But she won’t like that one bit. She’ll always think she knows better than God and that she can do it better. She is called to respect her husband, honor him, speak well of him, love him with all her heart, even when he’s stubborn and difficult, sarcastic and cranky. Instead she’ll complain about him. She’ll question God’s wisdom; “Why do I have to submit to him in a way that he doesn’t have to submit to me?” She’ll fight against her first love too: herself.
No, we don’t know their names, but we know who they are. Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Jacob and Rachel, David and Bathsheba. Matthew and Diana. You and your spouse. Whoever they are they are embarking on something that sin has made difficult: Two selfish sinners living in close proximity to each other under the same rood until death parts them? Two sinners being imitators of God, as beloved children, and walking in love as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us? It’d probably be easier to turn water into wine.
But there is hope for that anonymous couple. The same hope for Matthew and Diana today. The only hope for a successful marriage. Its the One person at the wedding at Cana who is named. The One who established marriage in the beginning and who honors it by His presence in Cana. the One who takes center stage today, even in this different and interesting Sunday Divine Service. It’s Jesus. The One whose name means, “God is Savior.”
And when the hour came for Him to save that wedding reception from social disaster, He did it. He manifested His glory by turning 180 gallons of hand-washing water into 180 gallons of wine that gladdens the hearts of men. When His hour came at Cana to do His first sign, He did it. He saved the Groom’s reputation. He blessed the Master of the Feast, the servants, the guests, His Mother’s prayer. Jesus did all the work, everyone else received the benefit and the Groom got all the glory. Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.
The best move that couple made was putting Jesus on the invitation list. The best move Matthew and Diana can make, that any couple can make, is to invite Jesus to the marriage. For where Jesus is invited, everyone benefits, and people begin to look good. Mary looks for giving that advice to do whatever Jesus says. The servants look good for serving excellent wine. The Master of the Feast comes off looking good. And all because of Jesus’ presence.
Jesus, the Only one named at Cana, is here for you today. Not just for Matt and Diana’s wedding, but for you. Jesus, whose name means “God is Savior.” And He has saved you. In Jesus husbands and wives who have dishonored marriage by their behavior are forgiven and an arrangement that is seemingly impossible is made possible. Jesus, going in-between and uniting.
In Jesus, the reputations of divorced people are repaired and restored before God. In Jesus even sinful singles, sinful widows and widowers, even disobedient children, are saved and blessed and glorified. Jesus has bailed us all out.
For when an even more important hour came for Him to save you, He did it. He manifested His glory. It was a wedding and a reception like none other, but not like at Cana. Instead of being surrounded by laughing and music, He was surrounded by sneering and spitting enemies who demanded His death. Instead of everyone being happy and drinking, He tasted our death so that He could cry, I thirst, as they offered Him sour wine.
When His greatest hour came servants were not filling up water jars to the brim, but God the Father was filling to the brim a cup of anger, filled with your sins, so that Jesus could drink it and die, so that you might receive the cup of blessing, be forgiven, blessed and forever glorified.
Upon the Cross, this heavenly Bridegroom, this Second Adam, was put into the deep sleep of death and the Father took what came from His side to form and fashion a beloved and radiant Bride for Him. There He was forsaken by His Father, left His Mother, and held fast to His Bride the Church. Washed with water with the Word, presented to Him in splendor, holy and without blemish. You are called Christian, for you were taken out of Christ.
Water into wine. Water and Word. Bread and Wine. Water and Blood. Behold, people loved by God, and come up to the Head Table at this Wedding Feast, the Lord’s Table, were He not only does signs, but He gives signs. Gracious signs of His favor toward you. Signs that He is for you and not against you. Signs like the water of Holy Baptism, through which you are rescued. Signs like bread and wine, His Body and Blood, given and shed for you. Jesus has done all the work, but you, His baptized and beloved children, received all the blessing and all the glory.
That nameless couple at Cana looked good because they put Jesus on the invitation list. This couple, Matt and Diana, will do well to keep Jesus on the invitation list. All husbands and wives joined together by and in Christ Himself, keep Him on the invitation list. For where He is invited, everyone benefits.
Yet even better is that God knows your sin and yet you still remain on the invitation list to the Marriage Feast of the Lamb in His Kingdom that has no end. Come. “Soul adorn yourself with gladness, leave the gloomy haunts of sadness, come into the daylight splendor, there with joy your praises render. Bless the One who grace unbounded this amazing banquet founded; He though heav’nly, high, and holy, deigns to dwell with you most lowly.”
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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