18. Pigs and Grapes and Stuff (John 2:2-3)
Posted by:
SeLahGirl on
November 5, 2007 at
2:49PM EST
Pigs and Grapes and Stuff
(John 2:2-3)
2and
Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3When the
wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine."
Just in the first three verses of this chapter, there is so much
potential for scandal. First the divinity of Mary, now the issue of
alcohol... it just proves that there is no issue that Scripture doesn't
deal with in some way. We have trivialized the Word of God, and carved
it on stone rather than in our hearts. How sad. Such an idolizing of
spiritual tools threatens to undo all that Christ came to earth to
accomplish.
Of coarse, the will of God is already
fulfilled. Nevertheless, it remains a threat on a personal level for
each person trying to understand the will of God for their life. All
I'm saying is that the heart of the law is so much more important than
the manner or device used to communicate it to people. Yes the word,
the commands of God are the heart of the law, but somewhere along the
way we have manipulated doctrine into an idol, a god that needs men to
defend it.
Trust me, we simply state the Truth, declare
what we believe about Christ and all that he spoke about justice,
faithfulness, and the love of God for all people... and God can defend
his commands and his Word.
Alcohol...
I am
currently attending a Nazarene Church after many journeys (old and new)
in search of God's will for the life of my family. I have been TRULY
blessed by the honesty of their doctrine of alcohol. It is refreshing
to hear that the evidence in Scripture is not one that proclaims that
all alcohol is gross sin, that it will send you to hell.
Rather, they teach that it is the root of many social evils and is
therefore something that they encourage believers to abstain from.
Wow... I love honesty, it's so refreshing.
I don't believe that all alcohol consumption is sin. I do however, firmly believe that getting drunk is.
I had been taught that all the words in the NT where alcohol was
consumed in a positive light, were actually interpreted in the original
Greek as meaning unfermented grape juice. I accepted this teaching for
a while, but as I read further and further into Scripture, something
weighed on my mind about it all. So I spent an entire day (when I was
in my twenties), literally, digging thru Scripture, concordances, bible
dictionaries, and reference material trying to understand it all. My
conclusion at the end of the day was that, drinking alcohol will not
send you to hell -- though drunkenness can.
Bottom line, if
you can't stop yourself, if you lack SELF-CONTROL to the point of often
finding yourself reaping some difficult consequences or inflicting
painful consequences on the lives of the people around you... then you
should never touch a drop.
Gluttony, drunkenness,
over-indulgence, will quickly change the effects of wine into something
negative -- as well as make you vomit and pass out. Just being real
here.
It wasn't a matter of craving to drink alcohol, it
was more a matter of dealing with teens and young converts that were
asking me questions about alcohol and I was giving them answers based
on church doctrine rather than the Scriptures. Though I loved the
people in that church, I was struggling with teaching things that I was
not convinced of after ten years of membership. Leaving that church was
very difficult, but several things confirmed that God was calling our
family to a different place in our walk with Him.
We fasted
from alcohol for over 12 years, respecting out commitment to
membership. But as a teacher, I could not continue in teaching a
doctrine that I didn't fully believe.
As I studied many of
the passages that had been referenced to me by leaders as meaning grape
juice, I found that most all actually referred to generic terms that
could mean fermented or unfermented grape juice. It simply meant any
fruit, alcoholic and not, that came from the grapevines.
It
was stated that there is no way that Jesus would turn the water into
fermented wine and get a bunch of people drunk at a party. His holiness
makes us instantly agree, but after putting much thought and study to
it, I just can't agree with several assumptions tacked onto that
comment. Getting drunk is a choice just like any other sin. Sex can
lead to prostitution and adultery, but God created sex. Many things are
distorted or abused by people and the enemy that result in sin and
social evil. But isn't there some word of wisdom about a baby and some
bath water...
I also considered the Jewish wedding
ceremonies, old and new. Little has changed, and fermented wine is the
drink of choice. If Jesus truly performed this miracle to save this
family from discrace/embarrassment on behalf of his mother, their
hostess/friend, I believe the wine he created in those barrels was the
best fermented grape juice of the day. Just like the guy declared when
he stood and raved over the quality.
Wine is often linked to times of celebration:
(I Chronicles 12:38-40)
38 All these were fighting men who volunteered to serve in the ranks.
They came to Hebron fully determined to make David king over all
Israel. All the rest of the Israelites were also of one mind to make
David king. 39 The men spent three days there with David, eating and
drinking, for their families had supplied provisions for them. 40 Also,
their neighbors from as far away as Issachar, Zebulun and Naphtali came
bringing food on donkeys, camels, mules and oxen. There were plentiful
supplies of flour, fig cakes, raisin cakes, wine, oil, cattle and
sheep, for there was joy in Israel.
The word for wine
here is from the Hebrew 3196 as referenced in Strong's. It means
fermented wine, or intoxication as in banqueting or wine-bibber.
Consider Luke 7, as Christ addresses the Temple Leaders:
33For
John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you
say, 'He has a demon.' 34The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and
you say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors
and "sinners." '
The word for wine here is from the
Greek 3631, and can mean fermented or unfermented, and is also
associated with the derivation of the Hebrew above 3196.
I
shun *shshshuuuunnnnn* (for all you Charlie the unicorn lovers out
there) all that researchy-sounding stuff when at all possible. But
research is kinda essential in some respect at all times. Though I
firmly believe that God designed the workings of his Word and his
Spirit to allow any common folk or person like myself to pick up a
Bible and understand whatever he wants to say to us at any given moment
of our walk. The Word is alive. It's aLIVE! aLIVE I say!
so yeah...
And another thing, we're told to give it to people when they sorrow or
grieve. Some argue that we have meds for that now. But what's the
difference in the pastor's wife taking a benedryl or some ludes to help
her sleep than a glass of wine or two. Other than the wine could be
arguably healthier and less addictive.
I've also considered the don't cause your brother to stumble passage in Romans 14.
16Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil. 17For
the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of
righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18because anyone who
serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.
19Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to
mutual edification. 20Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of
food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that
causes someone else to stumble. 21It is better not to eat meat or drink
wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.
22So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and
God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he
approves.
This passage is referring to doing things in
the presence of people that they find offensive. If you go to Mexico
and burp after a meal, it is offensive. If you do the same thing in
Germany, it is more of a compliment. Burping isn't a sin, but don't do
it or argue that it's okay when someone in Mexico is hosting a dinner.
This passage is about food more than alcohol. So who doesn't drink
alcohol? Do you eat pork? Do you eat meat? most of you do. But when
reasonable, don't drink alcohol in front of someone that struggles with
drunkenness, don't eat pork in front of a Jew or Muslim, and don't eat
meat in front of a Vegan. Sometimes it can't be helped, or sometimes,
it's a situation where it's not unreasonable, and sometimes people are
going to take offense with you no matter what. But basically, be
considerate, even to the point of sacrificing your freedom in a certain
area for a certain time.
These aren't meant to lash out at
anyone, though I've been hammered on the issue by others of the same
Faith. I am simply walking you thru some of the thought processes that
brought me some clarity on the issue. There are more, but I strive to
keep these posts brief, tho I obviously fail miserably at it from time
to time.
All that to say that I don't believe that wine in moderation will send you to hell.
However... if you are underage and drinking... or driving and
drinking... or any such thing as that where you are violating the laws
of your people and nation... then you be in sin when you drink alcohol
in any form.
(I Peter 2:13-15)
13Submit
yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men:
whether to the king, as the supreme authority, 14or to governors, who
are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who
do right. 15For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence
the ignorant talk of foolish men. 16Live as free men, but do not use
your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.
I have seen people that THINK that they can stop themselves -- be dead
wrong. I have seen teens that think it will boost their social status
and give them power/control over their own life. I have seen people
total their cars, kill their best friend or a family member, spend
months/years in jail or appearing before judge after judge. I have seen
DRUNKENNESS rob people of so much. I have seen alcohol mixed with a
lack of wisdom and a lack of self-control intensify the stupidity and
foolishness of many a person consumed and caught up with their own
arrogance.
Funny thing is that they think they are just as
wise and in-control of themselves as the next person. They can't step
outside themselves and see themselves stagger and offend and harm the
people around them... until it's too late and someone is dead or a
relationship is damaged... sometimes beyond repair. Sometimes it's
better to just never open Pandora's box, when you're not sure of what's
inside or how you'll react to it.
BEST THING: don't drink alcohol in any form at any time.
Some people should NEVER drink alcohol. They simply lack the ability to be responsible.
Some people should NEVER drive a car. They also lack that level of responsible behavior.
Some people should NEVER handle a gun, have a baby, adopt a child, own
a dog, pick their own clothes (some people just can't discern
slutty)...
But some people have the measure of responsible
behavior and personal accountability necessary to handle such things.
The hardest part of learning to be responsible is being able to confess
that you lack self-control in a certain area of your life. But that's
also the first step in recovery and maturity and succeeding in life.
Pray and Seek God in the matter. Don't take my word for it, search out
what God has to say about it all to you specifically. Many men and
women were called to abstain from all kinds of seemingly insignificant
things. If you desire to drink alcohol and are motivated by rebellion
or loneliness or a bad day/week/year/lifetime, then it may just be sin
or an open door for sin in your life. You need to not use this post as
an excuse to be careless, you need to search your heart in the presence
of God.
Luv you guys
<3
