We're barely out of Christmas and into a new year, and it's evident the Church doesn't waste any time getting into the ministry stories of Jesus. You may recall that the Church Year is divided into two halves, the Lord's Half and the Church's Half. The Gospel lessons of the Lord's Half Year are about His life, Advent through Pentecost, and the Gospel lessons of the Church's Half Year are all about His teachings. And the church has listed them in a full three-year cycle.

         John's Gospel today tells us about Jesus' first miracle at a wedding in Cana right after He had called His disciples. Cana is west of Galilee, the area of northern Israel where most of the disciples came from. Someone in the wedding party had invited Jesus, the new Rabbi, and also His disciples. This is a well-known miracle and a really great story, not just due to the "water being made wine." It's also great because of the role Jesus' mother had in it.

         You can almost see it unfold. It's a big wedding and the wine runs out. I guess the caterer hadn't planned well, so the wine ran out, and Jesus' mother heard of it. Maybe she was helping serve, like a good Lutheran Mom. She saw the embarrassment to the bridal couple, so she told her son about it. "They have no more wine," she said simply. Now, why would she tell Him that? He was not the caterer, nor the guest of honor. Why should Mary think Jesus would be concerned?

         Whatever the case, Mary drops an obvious hint, and Jesus reacts in a surprising way, "Dear woman, why do you involve me? My time has not yet come." We might think Jesus rude or insolent, but not so. He is telling her His ministry is His business, and she shouldn't not to try directing it. He probably already knew about the wine, and even knew that He would do something about it. But she needed to know it was His work, not hers. Some mothers are like that, wanting to make sure everyone is happy, and even trying to fix problems that belong to others.

         Her response to what He said is gentle, but confident. To the servants, she said, "Do whatever He tells you." Now that's a mother's confidence! She knew He'd do something, that He wouldn't ignore her, so she said to them, "Do what He tells you." And the rest, as we say, is history. The host of the feast tastes this new wine and is amazed at how good it is. "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine; but you have saved the best till now."

         Jesus saved the best till last, and He still does it today. Jesus once told a parable about workers in a vineyard. Some spent all day working and others only an hour. All received the same pay - a denarius. His point of that parable is that everyone will get the same, no matter when they come into the Kingdom of God. There will be no favorites in heaven. The first will be last and the last first.

         Sometimes the last do come in first. Richard Petty is an auto racing legend. He won a lot of races, but it wasn't all glory. In 1978-79 he had a string of 45 straight losses, but all that changed in the 1979 Daytona 500 race. Going into the last lap, he was running 30 seconds behind the two leaders, more than a full lap back. But then something amazing happened. When the No. 2 car tried to pass the No. 1 car, the two leaders skidded onto the infield grass, slightly out of control. With the lead they had, they easily could have pulled back onto the track and raced to see which one of them won. Instead, the offended driver pulled his car back onto the track, caught up with the leader, and slammed him into the outside wall. Both vehicles spun to a halt. The two drivers jumped out and got into an old-fashioned slugfest right there on the track. Meanwhile, third-place Petty cruised past them for the sixth Daytona 500 win of his career. The first went to last and didn't even place.

         This miracle at Cana shows us how Jesus saved the best till last, and He still does it today. How often has it been in your life that you felt you got the best you could hope for, but then God gave you something better? God's people can trust that God has their welfare at heart and will give them something good, maybe even something better than they ever expected. In His great mercy, God saves the best till now.

         Last week, as usual, on the way to the Nursing Home services, I told my wife I was going to speak about this and could she give me some examples. She smiled and said, "You weren't the first man who proposed to me, but you were the last." And we both smiled. You see, before I came along Carol had received seven proposals of marriage and turned them all down. Then a few years later I came along and popped the question. Hopefully she still feels she saved the best till last.

         In our Christian life, we must trust the Lord for all things. Difficult times can arise, and if we think it's all up to us, we may struggle more than we need. When troubles of work, or relationships, or health, or money, or morals, or any trouble confronts us, we need to go to the Lord, like Mary did, and say, "We need help."

         Jesus already knows what we need, even before we tell Him. Parents don't wait until kids say they are hungry to start dinner. They have it already planned out. Yet it's good for children to ask, "Mom, what's for dinner?" By the way, I'm amazed at how many Dads are the chief cook these days. If I did all the cooking, we wouldn't eat much. Then again, that might be an easy way to diet.

         God wants to hear from us. It's part of our worship to pray and ask God to give us our needs. That's why we pray, "Give us this day our daily bread." He does, even without our asking, even to those who don't trust Him. But our Heavenly Father wants us to hear from us, to hear of our faith, and prayer is evidence of our faith.

         Mary knew Jesus could do something about the wine shortage, though I'm not sure how. Had Jesus done some miracles before? There are several infancy gospels, false writings that never made it into the Bible because they are not inspired. The Infancy Gospel of Thomas tells of a young boy Jesus bringing dead animals back to life and stretching a board that Joseph the carpenter cut too short. But they also tell of the boy Jesus being a little devil that curses and even kills other little boys who are mean to him. They tell of a proud little Jesus, the nasty boy who sins and must repent, things that go against all that God's Word said the Messiah would be.

         So, what did Mary know about Jesus to make her ask Him for help? She knew He was a man of action. She knew He would listen to her and help others when needed, just like He does today. If you and I come to Him in prayer, He will help us. When Mary asked, He said His time had not yet come. But now it has. Jesus is our Lord! He is ready and He will help us in our needs. His time has fully come!

         There is a good story about a woman who asked that when she died a fork be put into her hand, and when I mentioned this to Carol, she said, "Not that old story again!" (You know, you have to admire the pastor's wife who has to hear those stories over and over again.) I won't repeat it all, but it's about a woman who wanted people to know that this world is not all there is, that the best is yet to come, like dessert at the end of a meal. This life may be good for us, or it may seem bad. But however it treats us, the best is yet to come. God brings out the best wine at the end of the feast. He saves the best till last.

         The Cana couple invited Jesus to their wedding feast. We can invite Him into our lives, too, and He will certainly come! Jesus wants to be part of our lives, and if we let Him, He will be the best part. He said in Revelation 3:20, "Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone will open the door, I will come in."

         My prayer for each of you here today is that you will invite Jesus in, that you will give Him first place in your life. Let Him be the boss and life will go better. Let Him show you a better way. Let Him give you the new wine, the best you've had till now. God grant this, for Jesus' sake, amen.

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