Wedding season is upon us! Even with this pandemic, love is still in the air and weddings are being planned and celebrated all across the world right now. Weddings are a big deal. It's too bad that they are taken so lightly by so many in the world we live in today.
In the old days, people planned extravagant weddings for their children because they are a big deal! Back then, people knew the couple would be together forever, bound by God, witnessed by friends and loved ones. It was a big deal to get an invitation and still is. If you've never hosted a wedding, well lucky you, but they are very expensive. Now days people are annoyed by wedding invitations. "Oh man, another wedding. I have to buy a gift." Or worse yet, "I'll catch the next one." because there likely will be a "next one" instead of being excited to have been invited at all. I feel like sometimes today, big weddings are done for show instead of the true meaning of what is happening. I'm honored that I've been to some glorious weddings that I know were designed by God Himself and that feeling is still present. They get it! It's a celebration of love and you were CHOSEN to be a part of it. It's a big deal!
I recently started watching a series called "The Chosen." It's about Jesus when he was here on earth, how he chose His disciples and the miracles He performed along the way. One of His first miracles, I believe it may have been third in the show but don't quote me, was when He changed water into wine at a wedding. I've read this story a hundred times and never once did I understand why it was such a big deal. I mean, yes, turning water into wine, that's a big deal but it was just a wedding. Here's the thing. No wedding is JUST a wedding.
This particular wedding was being hosted by Mary's good friends. I believe they were the parents of the groom but I could be wrong about that. If so, can we go back to that? Who switched it up? LOL! The hosts didn't have a lot of money but had hired a really good vineyard to bring the wine but only had enough money for a certain number of people and that was exactly how many people were invited. The problem was, 40 people didn't show up, 80 did. I understand their pain. I had 250 RSVP's and 550 plus in attendance at Quincy's. FYI, crashing a wedding may have made for a funny movie but in real life, it's not very cool. It's quite rude actually. And very stressful for the hosting parents. Luckily, I'm not stupid and planned for 450. God somehow worked a miracle at my wedding too and everyone was fed. Plus it's kind of flattering really that people that weren't even invited wanted to be there.
The parents of who I think to be the bride, the parents NOT hosting, were from a higher class than the ones hosting. They were known to have a lot of money and kind of snotty. The hosting parents were extra nervous because they didn't want to throw a party to embarrass their child or to make their child seem of lessor worth or value than they one they were marrying. Even way back then, people were dealing with that nonsense. Can you believe it?
Because 80 people showed up, they ran out of wine quickly. The vineyard folks were ruined. They were freaking out! Their reputations were going to be in the gutter for not bringing enough wine and obody would ever hire them again. The parents hosting, well they would be the laughing stock of all the land. The child would have been humiliated before their new spouse's parents and the snotty parents would be saying "I told you so." It was about to be a disaster. I was nervous about not having enough food but didn't really care if you all talked about me behind my back or not. It wasn't going to ruin my business. In this story however, it was a game changer.
Mary went to her son Jesus and asked him to do something. He specifically tells her "Dear woman, why do you involve me? My time has not yet come." Until that last sentence, none of that stuff I talked about in the earlier paragraphs is in the Bible. It's actually only 11 short verses in John Chapter 2 that say that Jesus and His Disciples went to a wedding and then BAM, the miracle. What the movie did for me and I'm trying to do for you is explain why it was such a big deal.
Many lives and reputations would have been ruined and changed if not for this miracle. The sad part was, Jesus wasn't ready to do it yet, knowing full well what it was going to set into motion. He did it anyway to help his mother and their friends. Of course He prayed first and God's will was done but I think he interceded on His Mom's behalf, and for their friends to show mercy. It's so much bigger than just some wine. And the wine He made, was the best anyone had ever had. They had saved the best for last, which was simply unheard of because normally, at that time in the night, everyone would be drunk anyway so people served the cheap stuff.
So here's where I'm going with this. When you receive that 10th wedding invitation this year, be thrilled! Know that somebody cares enough about you to want you present to honor their life changing day. The day they commit their life to another forever, until they die and they chose you to witness it. They are paying a lot of money for you to be there and they are honored by your presence.
There is a reason the Bible uses the bride and bridegroom as examples of people, the church and Jesus in the Bible. WEDDINGS ARE A BIG DEAL. And here's the even bigger deal. GOD CHOSE YOU TOO! So, accept His gift! Accept Jesus and spend all eternity celebrating with your friends, family and loved ones. It's going to be a glorious, wine flowing party and you are certainly not going to want to miss this one. Get that RSVP in the mail today! Check that box...Yes Lord, I am coming! ;)
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