This week's gospel text: John 2:1-11
The Wedding at Cana
2 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what concern is that to me and to you? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6 Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the person in charge of the banquet.” So they took it. 9 When the person in charge tasted the water that had become wine and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), that person called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.” 11 Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee and revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.
The message:
There are many things about the story of the wedding at Cana that are lovely.
The interaction between Jesus and his mother. Right? … Who doesn’t like to think of Jesus’ mother bossing him around a bit? … Just delightful!
The chief steward’s reaction to the wine. … Like, wait, what? This is really good wine! Where’d this come from! … Who gives the good wine now?
God’s abundance shown in this story. Right? … I mean Jesus took water and didn’t just produce a little bit of wine to tide the wedding hosts over.
No! … He produced enough wine so that EVERYONE was going to have a good time! … Enough wine that EVERYONE was going to remember this wedding!
But most all … what I find lovely about the story of the wedding at Cana is that the setting is at … well … a wedding.
A wedding of all places!
We are well conditioned to know Jesus’ miracles, aren’t we? … We’ve been learning them since Sunday school.
In the Gospel of John this list includes multiple healings, the feeding of the 5,000 … walking on water … and even raising Lazarus from the dead.
And … in almost every other story of Jesus’ miracles, we’re generally talking about life and death circumstances … or at least MAJOR … life-altering events.
But the writer of the Gospel of John opens … with a wedding scene. … An every day event that each and every one of us would be familiar with. … A party nonetheless.
It seems so whimsical, right? … So what gives, John?
Well, Faith Family, I like to believe that John wants to show us that Jesus is involved in our lives in the everyday details too.
So much of our gospels are so weighty. … The stories, the parables … even Jesus’ miracles! … It’s all very dire stuff. … Because Jesus lived in a weighty time.
His people had been subjected to hundreds of years of enslavement and war and subjugation. … The Israelites’ plight wasn’t a picnic, was it?
And so it’s not surprising that so much of what we read about involving Jesus is … well … heavy.
But John pops this delightful tale in at the beginning of his gospel to remind us … that in fact … Jesus did walk among us and was -- and is -- concerned with the lighter side of this life as well.
A wedding. … Just a lovely little story.
But before we downplay the significance of Jesus’ act here, let’s remember that this isn’t only about the seemingly playful act of turning water into wine … it’s the symbolism behind Jesus’ act that we should take note of.
It’s hard for us in 21st century America to understand the importance of status in 1st century Israel.
Oh we get shame and fame and social status to a degree. After all, we all went through the drama of high school. … And why else would social media platforms flourish.
But what John is touching upon here in his gospel is something different. … The implications of social status in 1st century Israel could at times make or break a family for generations.
To fully grasp this, we need to understand that in 1st century Judaism, social status was primarily determined by one's economic standing, with the upper class consisting of wealthy landowners, high priests, and aristocratic families ….
… while the middle class encompassed shopkeepers, tradesmen, and educated individuals like scribes and Pharisees …
… and finally the lower class included tenant farmers, laborers, and artisans.
And it was rare to see a family move rapidly up this social ladder … if at all. It could take generations!
But the falls from grace … based on the rules of saving face in this culture at times … well … a fall among the social ranks could take place quickly and devastate a family for generations to come.
And that is the basis of understanding that we need to helpfully approach the story of the wedding at Cana.
For whoever was throwing this wedding party, including the chief steward, the mistake of running out of wine for the guests would have brought heaps of shame.
Shame, that for most of us, is unimaginable today.
But Jesus’ mother knew. … And while she lived in a society that valued women little, she understood what this potentially devastating circumstance could mean to the hosts.
Here, they had brought all of these people together to celebrate a wedding … and they hadn’t the forethought to plan accordingly. … Or maybe they had, and more people showed up? … Who knows. … But things were about to get ugly.
And then Jesus’ mom says to him … “Son, go take care of this. Keep these people from shame. Utilize the gifts your divine father has given you to rescue this family from potentially generations of devastation.”
And Jesus does. … And not only does he save the day, but he does so abundantly!
Some scholars who have done the math, say Jesus produced a 1,000 containers of “the good wine.” … Just staggering!
Faith Family … that is what is lovely about this story. … The story of the wedding at Cana. … It demonstrates to us that Jesus not only is going to show up to save us … to save the day … in countless ways.
But more importantly, this story demonstrates to us that Jesus is here in our everyday happenings as well. Ready to step in to provide a safe harbor even from shame. … Debilitating shame.
Jesus isn’t here only to help us navigate through the big storms in life. … I mean … we’re all only human, and so when we get into those big jams, it’s easy to fall on our knees and call out to Jesus.
The hospital visits. … Life and death moments. … Divorces, financial catastrophes, betrayals … they all drive us to prayer pretty quickly don’t they?
But the story of the wedding at Cana should also remind us that Jesus is in the every day with us too.
And he’s not only there to save us from great physical harm. … But he’s there also to help save us from shame, from humiliation … from so many of these hurtful earthly circumstances that can leave us devastated too.
If we only invite him into our daily circumstances. … Faith Family, you see that’s the key.
That wedding scene could have taken a tragic turn if it weren’t for Jesus’ mother who told her son to be helpful. … An interesting turn of events considering that Jewish society viewed her among the lowest of social classes.
But maybe that’s the point, isn’t it? … Maybe it took someone so acutely aware of what it's like to live inside the confines of that constrictive 1st century Jewish social structure to understand the ramifications for the host who would run out of wine. … And so she pushes Jesus into action.
Son, go help them. … Go help all the people who face similar circumstances all throughout their daily lives. … And Jesus does. … and does so abundantly.
Faith Family … I think we sometimes fail to see that Jesus is God living with us each and every day. … Emmanuel, right? … God with us.
But I think it’s easy to shrug off this notion when we’re in the thick of our days. When we run into the obstacles and roadblocks of everyday life.
I think our first inclination far too often is that we can tackle or circumnavigate these daily inconveniences all by ourselves.
And maybe the hosts, including the chief steward, at this wedding party could have risen to the occasion with a solution. … Certainly, they weren’t the first party hosts in history to run out of wine.
But, I think, what this story does is tell us that we don’t have to go it alone. … That we have a God who cares about not only our life and death circumstances … but also cares about the stuff of daily living. … And he cares so abundantly.
And I find that lovely. … The wedding at Cana. … What a special story about God’s faithfulness in all circumstances!
And that is the Good News for Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025, the Second Sunday after Epiphany. Amen.
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