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John 2:1-11
Jesus Changes Water to Wine
On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”
4 “Dear woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”
5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.
7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.
8 Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.”
They did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”
11What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
There are some passages of scripture that have greater resonance and meaning for me each time they come up in the lectionary. As you might remember, the daily lectionary is a two-year cycle of readings, which means that every two years we’re invited to read and reflect on many parts of the Old Testament and just about all of the New Testament. And it seems like each time we come back to lots of readings, they’ve acquired new layers of meaning.
I suppose it’s mostly because each time we come back to a particular passage, we have two more years of life experience. So maybe our perspective is a little deeper and broader – maybe our growing understanding of the things of the faith lets us see meanings in the readings that escaped us two years earlier.
But it’s also true that we come to these readings in a different time and a different cultural context. So our perceptions change and evolve with our circumstances, and we’re different people as we read this story of turning water into wine in 2023.
So what are we supposed to get out of this story now?
We should probably start by reminding ourselves that this is one of the ‘miracle stories’ from the life of Jesus. And lots of times in the gospels, the miracles Jesus performs are said to be “signs.” And that’s significant – a sign is something that points beyond itself, that has a meaning beyond itself. If you’ve read or listened to many of these Reflections, you probably know that we accept the understanding of many Bible scholars that Jesus’ miracles are meant as signs of the Kingdom of God – as ‘previews’ of what that kingdom will be like when it’s brought to fulfillment. The sick will be healed in the kingdom. The blind will see. The dead will be raised to new life. Those who are hungry in this world will be fed in the kingdom. And so on.
But why would making water into wine be a preview of the kingdom of God? I think we might be intended to read it as a sign that those who struggle with scarcity in this world will find abundance in the kingdom of God. Those who are forced to settle for the poor and the cheap in this world will experience richness and quality in the kingdom. And what’s more, in the Bible, wine is often a symbol of joy. So maybe at heart, this miracle is meant as a sign that in the kingdom of God, those whose joy runs low in this world find it abundantly replenished.
Which is where this story lands with special power at this particular point in history. Because after three years of pandemic and even more years of social and political discord, lots of us are finding that our joy is running low.
But this story seems to me to bring home once again the gospel message that the God we love and serve understands our need for joy – and takes that need seriously enough to want to fill us with joy when our supply runs low. I can’t help suspecting that Jesus was a much more joyful person than we usually imagine. In fact, he promised his joy to his followers as one of his continuing gifts to them. And today, this story seems to carry the promise that we will be able to find joy once again in the good things of this life – like the celebration of a wedding.
Don’t forget that Jesus says in Luke 15 that there’s a celebration in heaven each time a sinner turns back to the Father. Statistics suggest that worldwide, something like 2,000 people a day become followers of Jesus. So celebration would seem to be a major activity going on in heaven – maybe even the main thing. I guess if we’re serious about helping God to bring about his kingdom “on earth, as it is in heaven” we should make it a habit to foster joy in ourselves.
And for that matter, maybe it’s a reminder that loving our neighbor includes helping them to renew their joy in times when it might be running low. We tend to think our responsibility to those in need includes only what we consider “the necessities” – basic food, clothing and shelter. But maybe our Lord considers joy to be one of the necessities, too – for us, and for those who may be in need around us.
And after all, joy is one of the fruits of the Spirit.
Let’s pray. Lord, we thank you for the promise that those who struggle to meet their needs in this world can expect abundance in your kingdom, and that those for whom joy is in short supply will experience that abundantly in your kingdom, too. As we join you in the work of bringing about your kingdom on earth as it is in heaven, let us be agents of abundant joy and blessing in the lives of those around us. Amen.
Blessings,
Henry
(The other readings for today are Psalms 119:73-80 and 145; Deuteronomy 8:1-20; and Hebrews 2:11-18. Our readings come from the NIV Bible, as posted on Biblica.com, the website of the International Bible Society.)
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