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The last thing I’d like to point out about this wedding Jesus attended involves
a couple of questions that must be reviewed first.

Q. Why did Jesus turn the water into wine?
A. Because the host ran out of wine.

Q. WHY did the host run out of wine?
A. Because everyone at the wedding drank all he had!

Now, then…if the folks at the wedding had finished off the wine, then they
must have had a fair amount to drink…at least as a group. Peter and Paul
both have strong words to say about drunkenness in what has become
known to us as God’s own Word. Yet God in the flesh…Jesus…stood in
the middle of the wedding party (surrounded by people that had consumed
enough wine to cause the host to run dry) and……

***this is the important thing, so listen closely***

….if Jesus rebuked or condemned even one of the party-goers, it was not
recorded anywhere in the Bible. Nowhere. Now, you and I know that he
does not condone drunkenness. It’s in his very own word. Yet standing
among the wedding guests, he not only didn’t rebuke anyone, he made
more wine.

I’m thinking this is the point of the matter…Jesus hung out with sinners,
tax collectors, prostitutes, drunks, thieves, adulterers…you name it, they
were there in his presence. CONSTANTLY in his presence, I might add.
Yet, he never condemned or rebuked them.

Now, Jesus told everyone…EVERYONE…more than once…that unless
one has been born again, one cannot see the kingdom of heaven (John 3:3).
He made it plain and simple. “Follow me, or don’t. Your choice. Heaven
or hell. Saved or lost.” He let everyone know in no uncertain terms that:

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except
through me.” (John 14:6)

BUT he never rebuked or condemned the sinners he hung out with. He never
judged them for who they were or what they were, or what they did…instead
he accepted them. And he loved them. While they were still sinners….

(That’s a good thing for you and me, by the way!)

Think about that for a few minutes, will ya? Let that sink in a little bit. If
Jesus…God in the flesh…Creator of all…could hang out with sinners, day in
and day out without speaking harsh words of judgment and condemnation
against them…then what on his green earth makes US think it’s OUR place
to do so?

In fact, what gives us the RIGHT to do so, when we are nothing but sinners,
ourselves, redeemed by HIS blood? WE didn’t change our own path for the
future…HE did. It wasn’t by OUR actions that we’ve been redeemed and adopted,
but by HIS actions! HIS sacrifice, HIS mercy, HIS grace, HIS righteousness
and HIS love…

Remember, brothers and sisters, that at our very best, our righteousness is
still nothing more than filthy rags in God’s eyes. It’s HIS righteousness that HE
gave us…that he GAVE us….while we were yet sinners. Now, if he didn’t
rebuke…if he didn’t condemn…if he didn’t judge as he lived and walked in the
midst of sinners…you and me, included…then maybe we should be careful to
do the same, as imitators of Christ.

The self-righteous folks, on the other hand, were rebuked fairly often. The
“religious” people, if you will…with words like “you brood of vipers” and
“you sons of hell”….but that’s for another post…