Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1902-11-19
THE FIRsT MIRACLE.
81 ReK. Thos. Spence


occasion on which our Lord. during his
earthly life, put forth his divine power
| of working miracles. The apostles way
/ OF speaking sweeps away all the idle ira
| Sitions and fanciful dreams os en- infancy
hlled with marvellous works, and bids US
| think of our Lord as undergoing Il per-
fectly natural human development, life
| differing from ours only in the respect
that it was boiler than ours. Through
| this miracle the light of his divine glory
| first shone in the sight of men. Let us
look into some of the lessons which it
has to teach us.
First of all, it is perhaps out Of har-
| mony with some peoples straight7laced
notions of religion that the Lord should
have wrought his first miracle in order 10
prolong the pleasure of wedding feast.
They can see n reason for the miracles
of mercy by which he healed the sick, but
1t seems strange to them that the Lord
should have thought it worth while TO
replenish failing supply of wine by a
| miracle, and should have given to that
the distinction of being the beginning of
his miracles.
And yet in truth there was a beautiful
fitness in it all. We are Overmuch tempt
| life, to think of it too much as a hing
of Hastings and self-denials. as an endur-
| ing of hardness for Christ's sake. Even
the very estate of matrimony itself. with
| all its ministry of gentleness and affec-
| ton. has been by many despised as n
lower state than that ~ the ascetic single
| life. 1t was well that Christ should put
| the seal of his approval upon it. adorn-
9.ar, r,-s,. - Ill.
| by his presence and first miracle at Cana.
| That is one of the lessons we are to gath
/ err here: That marriage is a holy estate,
| and that they who enter it may 90 Mt
| tended by Christ's presence and crowned
by his blessing These people had called
| hiuf- to the marriage. ard be went. And
| surely there are few Things in which hu-
man souls need more tn. ending and
| blessing of Christ than when two lives
| are being made one in that union of veal
| or woe that must last until death. lie
| will not refuse his presence when he is
| called to the marriage of those who feel
| their need of him. and ask his presence.
One may agree that marriage is sol
emn; but think that feasting is not sol
| emn; while here Jesus prolonged the
| feasting. as well MS blessed the marriage
| US how to take the good things of God
without abusing them. or being enslaved
| by them. There are such things as inno-
| cent pleasures. and he can smile upon
| our use of these and is willing to help
us to them in proper measure.
Possibly these people were poor people.
| blessed more with friends than with abil-
| ity to entertain their friends. so that all
| the supply of wine they We're able to pro
vide was exhausted before the guests
| had been properly served. As they sat
| at table, at their wedding feast, with
| light hearts, receiving the congratulations
| of their friends there was overhaaging
| them, all unconscious to them. peril lps,
| the modification of having to tell their
| guests that there was no more wine to
| be had. Jesus thought it a thing worth
| while to let that marriage feast go on,
| its pleasure undimmed by any such coll
| fession. to spare the newly welded pair
| anything of pain and notification 1t is
lesson that he has a care for what may
| be called the little things of mems lives,
| as well as the great things. aud can be
company with us in life's joys. as well as
| comfort us in its sorrows He was no
one-sided man, able only 10 weep with
|
rejoice with those who rejoice.
The mother of Jesus was present at
| that feast. II would seem that she was
| one of those good friends on whom 50
| much of the pleasure of such Nh occasion
| depends. the friends who are not taere
| to be ministered unto but IL minister.
| She discovered that the supply of wine
| had been exhausted She Went in her
4 L 4. I.
| perplexity before, to the Son who h atl
| always been to her the most loving ana
| obedient son that had ever made glad the
| heart of a mother. She laid the need be-
| fore him. s.!le met with what seemed
| to be a rebuke, but was simply ar ad.
| monition that Il change had now come
| into their relations. During his growth
| up to manhood fer her to request had
! been for him to obey. II was not to he
| so now He had gone ont into a wider
life than that Of the home. He was
| henceforth to be subject to no NIL save
| that of his heavenly Father. She recos-
rlized the larger life and hi. aer work up
on which he had entered. But she felt
| sure that he would carry into that life.
| the same tender regard for anothers need
| and perpexity that she had found in him
in the home life at Nazareth So size
| simply said to the servants: Whatsoever
he saith unto you do it,; and she left
! all the rest to him.
| He had rs get done no miracle AMI we
| cannot say certainly that she expected
| him to work opp. But her quiet. beauti-
| full confidence that he wou.] 20 Aplnt..
| thing, either in a natural or a supernar-
ural way. won its answer. The miracle
| was granted, not in answer to her inter
| cession, but in answer to her faith. And
| they who draw near to the Lord with
| their need and their faith need no utter
| cessors to stand between themselves and
him to plead their cause.
You know how the story goes on. The
| servants were told to fill the water pots
with water They did so. Then at his
| bidding they drew out from those same
| water pots such wine as called forth the
| special praise of the governor Of the
| feast. What the Lord does he does well.
| Never was tasted at a marriage feast
| such wine as that which had been so
| quickly changed from water into wine at
the word Of the Lord Jesus
What had the Lord proclaimed by this
miracle. besides his sympathy with those
whose need Had called il forth? He had
| proclaimed himself to be the Lord Of IA
! ture He had identified himself with the
| God who year by year turns water into
| wine by the genial influences Of his rain
| and sunshine. What is done ordinarily
! through slow processes he did in a mo-
/ nIent; and SO doing showed that he was
| the Orderer of natures processes, the enc
who gave TO nature its laws. and could
set them aside whatsoever he would 81