Faith Lens: An Urgent Answer

Faith Lens is a weekly Bible study that engages youth and young adults in connecting world events with the Bible, faith, and everyday life.

Catalyst Question

Share about a time when someone stepped in to help you face a sudden, unexpected problem.

An Urgent Answer

As wildfires continue to threaten countless people in Los Angeles, community organizations are stepping up to help. Some provide food and shelter to the newly houseless. Others assist pets separated from families in the rush to find safety. All God’s creatures, great and small, need support in times of tragedy like these. And God shows up in all sorts of ways, through local organizations like those above and through international efforts like our own Lutheran Disaster Response.

In Sunday’s reading from John 2:1-12, a very different sort of urgent need appears. It is certainly not life or death to run out of wine at a wedding reception. The only thing at risk, it seems, is the social standing of the party thrower, whose lack of resources just might disappoint the party goers.

And still Jesus steps in. Without fanfare, Jesus preserves the relationships of the attendees with the bridegroom by ensuring there’s wine to spare. Not only does Jesus turn water into wine, but into excellent wine. When Jesus offers help, even in relatively minor situations, it’s not simply adequate. It’s extravagant, extending from great to small.

These are certainly different situations, natural disasters and party supplies. Still, in the times of urgent need, God steps in because God cares about us. As followers of Christ, so too we are called to step in. Perhaps this is through a gift to Lutheran Disaster Response’s efforts to immediately address the crisis. Perhaps it’s by providing housing to someone displaced by the fires until they’re able to return home. Certainly it’s through prayer. The example of Jesus is clear: when a crisis arises, Christians are called to provide relief.

Ask Yourself

What are some different ways you could intervene to provide relief to wildfire victims or others experiencing an urgent need? Pray and ask God for the wisdom to respond faithfully.

Ask a Friend

Who is someone that provided relief to you in a time of crisis, whether minor or major? How did they show Christ to you through their support?