January 19, 2025 - Second Sunday after Epiphany - A Cup of Water Compared to the Ocean

This week's Gospel describes the "miracle" at the wedding at Cana of Galilee. Pastor Emillie's sermon preached on, and found inspiration in, the faith that led to Mary come to Jesus rather than anyone in charge of the wedding to inform him that the wine has run out. And, after she hears his response, to say to the servants at the wedding, “Do whatever he tells you.”

Jesus' initial  response would appear to have shown an indifference to or, perhaps, a potential disagreement on whether to act on what she was implicitly asking to be done. And so this became an example of taking everything to God in prayer, no matter how trivial it might initially appear.

Mary shows a trust and confidence that Jesus will always do what is right and what is possible for him to do. When something is brought to God, whatever happens will be in accordance to God's will. Even when the journey to the Promised Land should actually have taken a shorter amount of time, the forty years of wandering is what God willed. This requires a belief that God will not simply say no to a prayer, but whatever happens is the response God intends to give.  This also requires patience to understand that response. A cup of water, added or taken away when compared to the ocean, will not have an immediate or noticeable effect

I see the beauty of perceiving Mary's faith this way and there other meaningful ways to interpret the wedding at Cana. This account, unique to the book of John, never calls the water turning into wine a "miracle". Rather it is the first of Jesus’ seven "signs" that reveal Jesus' glory. True, water turning into wine is something extraordinary, but the "signs" point to a truer revelation about Jesus. Revelation for revelation’s sake is not the point but what deeper reality is revealed? What are we supposed to "see"?

Particular details as provided in John Chapter 2 are initially hard to understand. They are presented the way Jesus' conversations with Nicodemus or the woman at the well are told. Jesus and his mother barely respond to each other. Actually this exchange between them is really quite funny and we do ourselves no favors when thinking the Bible is devoid of humor. 

At first she notes that they have run out of wine. Jesus’ response is, basically, on its face, that they should have hired a better wedding planner when he responds with “Woman, what concern is that to me and to you? My hour has not yet come." Not answering him directly, she says to the servants at the wedding, “Do whatever he tells you.”

Here the mother of Jesus is like a mother of a schoolboy, encouraging her child to get on the school bus for the first time: “Come on, you can do it! I know you can!” The Chosen episode that dramatizes this wedding by providing a narrative soliloquy on the importance the first moment of a ministry can be.

Jesus addresses his mother as woman. This may be a formal or culturally appropriate way to address her for the time period. Maybe this is included to indicate a shift in their relationship. It also hints that this is not a simple report of what happened. While Jesus addresses her, she chooses to speak to the servants.  Again, a possible clue something more is being revealed here.  Another beautiful explanation is that she is showing her faith in Jesus to do what is right and possible for him like Pastor Emillie preached. "The Wedding Gift" episode of The Chosen highlights this aspect of her faith as well.

So this is the first of John's seven "signs". The "mother" (she is never called by her name in John) thinks this is this is the time for the messianic feast. Jesus says no, "my hour has not yet come". This is not to be the messianic feast. That will come with Jesus' death and resurrection. This "sign" foreshadows what will eventually be his hour. A foreshadowing of Jesus' crucifixion opens this story.  This "sign" occurs on the third day of the wedding. And the mother of Jesus is referenced only twice in the John's gospel, at the wedding at Cana and at the foot of the cross.

It is so poignant that the mother of Jesus brackets his earthly ministry in John's Gospel. She is present at the beginning of his career and she is there as she watches him die. She is the nurturing force when he is the Word made flesh, a shared parenthood with God, the father. This can be a reminder that whenever Jesus reveals his divinity, something about his humanity is simultaneously revealed. Perhaps, in this sign of turning water into wine, we might want to use it to experience something that we need to know about ourselves.

Six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification are filled with the water that will become wine. There is far more than what would be needed to satisfy the thirst of wedding guests. This shows not only that God provides in abundance but suggests the purification purpose of the jars is important and relevant. 

On deeper examination more than one miracle takes place as this transformation occurs.. Jesus, revealing his glory, is instantly fulfilling a role of host rather than a guest. The wedding steward assumes that the old bridegroom is still the host when making the observation "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.” We know this assumption is not the case.

Note that this account does not mention anything about the bride or the ceremony itself. This leaves the wedding open to standing for something more - the union of daily, routine aspects of life with a higher calling we have as humans. This union is producing a born again man .The wedding celebrates this as a time of joy and abundance.

When read like this other details here fall into place. "My time has not yet come," implies the importance of timing and readiness in undertaking great spiritual work. Transformation occurs when conditions are right—when the individual is prepared and receptive to a higher call. Jesus calling his mother woman also fits. She, the servants, and the water stand for the ordinary, mechanical aspects of life and human nature. The wine then shows everyone working to achieve this higher call of  bringing God's kin-dom to earth.

Wine is associated with joy and festivity. After this miracle, when Jesus acts as the new bridegroom and host of the wedding. Both spiritual teachings and psychological development become interconnected.

Dwelling with the fortuitous incidentals John brings into this wedding at Cana account reveals profound truths. The story encapsulates and stirs within us so much of the joy and festivity the celebration extols. When Creator members talked about this passage last Wednesday, we had an animated and inspired discussion about the fruits of the spirit listed in Galatians. This is, in part, because in John's Gospel Jesus’ signs show, rather than tell what abundant grace is, “from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace” (John 1:16). Turning water into wine reveals abundant grace. And what does abundant grace taste like? Like the best wine when cheap stuff is expected. It’s one thing to say, “Jesus is the source of grace.” It’s quite another to have an experience of it.