John 2:1-11
Our Justice Conversation group uses Sojourners magazine as a thought starter for our meetings. Last month we were introduced to A Women’s Lectionary by Wilda Gafney through that magazine. A lectionary is a schedule of scriptures for worship, and this book chooses scriptures which include women, not because women are more important than men but because the stories in which women appear are often overlooked in traditional selections. So for a while we’re going to let this book guide us to some interesting stories for our consideration.
Today’s story is about the wedding in Cana. Jesus and his mother are there, maybe even his whole family. They must have some connection to the host because when the wine runs out Jesus’ mother wants to help avoid the embarrassment of not having enough for the celebration. We see a bit of Jesus humanity, including his irritation that his mother wants him to fix this situation. She is in effect forcing his hand at showing publicly what he’s able to do. In spite of his rebuke to her he goes ahead and turns six large jars of water into wine, even better wine that the host originally supplied. Ever since, we’ve been referring to this miracle at parties around the globe.
The author of John’s gospel tells us that this is the first sign Jesus performed in his ministry and because of it people believed him. We need to put the story in the context of John’s gospel, often called the “signs” gospel. Rather than following the same timeline of the first three gospels (Matthew/Mark/Luke) John strikes out on his own to tell the story of Jesus. He does so by moving through a series of miracle stories, each one being a sign of Jesus’ power. His purpose is to prove that Jesus is God’s Son by reminding people of all the amazing things he was able to accomplish. John wants us to believe in Jesus and these stories make his case.
We can connect what John is doing to our own practice of naming “light signs” each Sunday. What we are about in the world is the “sign” of our faith. We hope it’s persuasive to others and they might want to join in on the fun we’re having making a difference in the world.
In Sunday School we may have learned these stories as historical, the very signs John wants us to see and be amazed. It’s more accurate to take these stories as metaphor. John’s gospel was probably the last to be written, a full two generations after Jesus’ life and ministry. It tells stories not known to the other gospel writers, which makes it likely that John has at least embellished them significantly if not invented them completely. But they are still “true” stories in showing us who John believed Jesus to be. If they are indeed signs leading to faith, we can ask ourselves, “What are they a sign of?” It's safe to say that this story isn’t a sign of Jesus advocating for excessive drinking of wine, even though he made such an abundant quantity. This story can be problematic for the many folks among us who need to avoid wine for health reasons or who struggle with addiction. Our own church has stopped using wine in communion so that no one needs to hesitate to participate. We use only grape juice. Wine was the common drink in Jesus’ day, being healthier than untreated water in many circumstances. This story is about running out of beverages, not about promoting alcohol. I love the fact that Jesus and his mother were attending a wedding together of family friends and that some of the early disciples were there with him. Jesus’ ministry emerges out of his life, his real life. He introduces the men who are gathering around him to his family. They go to celebrate with friends, maybe friends they had in common. Jesus isn’t dropped into the world as a holy being, different from others. He’s a man with a God-sized vision who lived in a particular time and place and was part of that culture and history. He was real. That’s one of the signs we see in this tale.
It’;s important that they are at a wedding, a time of great celebration. He makes the party better. He participates in the joy everyone is feeling. This story is a sign of the joy that was part of being with Jesus. Sometimes the meaning of Jesus’ life and ministry seems heavy with significance. John is reminding us that it began in joy.
So what are the signs of joy that come with being a follower of Jesus? Let’s start with LOVE, a good place to start at a wedding. Jesus often spoke about love: love God, love your neighbor, God is love. It’s easy as his followers to get bogged down with what we need to do or to believe. Those or good things, but they start with the simple fact that we are loved. God loves us. God IS love. Before anything else, we can remember that we are loved and valued for who we are. We can’t hear that message too much. You are God’s beloved.
There’s a second sign of joy in the gathering of this community. So many folks came to the wedding and stayed so long that they ran out of wine. They were having a good time together. Jesus’ new disciples came to the party. His whole family was there. Being a follower of Jesus has the perk of getting to be together with great people. Today after worship we’re going to have a potluck and celebrate the past year. Before that we’re going to gather at Jesus’ table and remember that it all starts with his love. It’s a good thing.
Finally, there’s a sign of joy in helping people. Jesus rescued his host from embarrassment. Our own signs of light reach out to folks we know and those we don’t. When you are filled with the joy of God’s love, you shine your light in the world. Not because you have to but because you want to. It’s what comes naturally to people who are loved and who are happy about it.
The greatest sign of joy and love is making a difference in the world.
That’s what we do. That’s what Jesus does with us.