LESSON: COLOSSIANS 1:9-14

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall exalt in my God. Isaiah 61:10

In this Gospel (John 2:1-11) Christ makes it quite clear that He finds no fault with providing expenses for a wedding and all that is needed for a wedding, adornment and merry-making, eating and drinking, as the usage and custom of the land require.

It is true that this seems to be excess and wasted expenditure and a worldly matter. Suitable moderation must be observed here, without completely destroying the wedding celebrations. The bride and bridegroom must be suitably adorned, and the guests must eat and drink and be joyful. Provisions may be supplied and usual procedures followed with a good conscience.

Scripture often refers to these matters with approval. Mention is made in the Gospels of the bride’s adornment, the marriage garment, the guests, and the good fare at the wedding. Even the Old Testament sets forth examples with approval. Abraham’s servant gave Rebekah, Isaac’s bride, jewelry of silver and of gold as well as raiment (Genesis 24:53).

We should never pay too much attention to the hypocrites and self-made saints with their sour looks who are pleased with nothing except what they themselves teach, and will not even suffer a bride to wear a garland or any other adornment.

SL.XI.466,7

AE 76, 240

PRAYER: O Lord, we thank and praise you for all the joys and pleasures which you have given us to make us happy here on earth. We pray for your grace to enable us to enjoy these things, following the example of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

LESSON: JOHN 2:1-11

On the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there; Jesus also was invited to the marriage, with his disciples. John 2:1,2

It was a great honor for Jesus to make His gift of wine at this lowly marriage feast by means of a great miracle. Hereby Jesus became the bride’s most important donor. In any case, He may not have had any money for precious gems to give her as a gift. Such an honor Jesus never accorded to any of the Pharisees. In this way He confirms marriage as a work and ordinance of God. No matter how despised it is, or regarded as insignificant by men in general, God nevertheless recognizes His work and is pleased with it.

Because the estate of holy matrimony can rest on the comforting fact that God has established it and is pleased with it, and because Christ Himself honors it for our consolation, all men should really be pleased with it. They should regard it as an honorable estate and be very favorably inclined to it, being sure that God is well pleased with it.

They should also be ready joyfully to endure everything that is difficult in this estate, even if matters sometimes seem worse than they actually are. It is an estate which practices and cultivates faith in God and love towards one’s neighbor by means of trouble and toil, unpleasantness, the cross, and disagreeableness of all kinds. All these are not uncommon experiences where God’s Word and work are taken seriously.

SL.XI.464,3-4

AE 76, 238

PRAYER: Lord God, heavenly Father, in many ways and places you have taught us that holy matrimony is an estate well-pleasing to you and to be honored by all men. Thanks be to you, Lord Jesus, for the striking way you honored this holy estate at the wedding in Cana, giving us strong encouragement to follow your holy example in this respect. Amen.

LESSON: 2 THESSALONIANS 2:13-17

Whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope. Romans 15:4

In this Gospel (Luke 2:41-52) we are given the consolation that, whenever suffering becomes our portion, we should realize that we will not be able to find any other consolation except in the Scriptures, the Word of God. God has set it down in writing that we should learn, as Paul says, “Whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope.” Romans 15:4.

Here he states that the Scriptures are comforting and give patience and consolation. There is nothing else that comforts the soul more, even in the slightest temptations. For anything else whereby a man seeks consolation for himself, however great it may be, is quite uncertain. For the heart always has the nagging feeling: “Who knows whether it is right? O that I could be quite sure!” When the heart clings to God’s Word, it can say without any wavering: “This is God’s Word; it cannot lie to me or mislead me. Of that I am certain.”

The greatest struggle in which we must engage is to keep the Word and remain steadfast in it. If this Word is torn from a man’s heart, he is lost.

SL.XI.441,29

PRAYER: Grant us steadfastness of faith, O Lord, so that the precious Word of salvation which you have made known to us in Christ, our Savior, may never be torn from our hearts, and that we may continue in it until all our hopes are fully realized in Christ. Amen