John 2:1-11

Posted by DJL on Jan 15, 2015 in Daily Bread | 2 comments

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Now standing there were six stone water-jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.” So they took it. When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom 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.” Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

First events in stories are usually quite important. They set the tone. They help the reader anticipate what is to come. They shape expectations. First events matter.

Each of the four gospels starts with some kind of introduction, an encounter with John the Baptist, and then some form of a calling of the first disciples. And then each marks the move to Jesus’ ministry by describing a particular event.

In Mark, the first thing Jesus does is cast out an unclean spirit, announcing his intention to stand against all that would keep the children of God from abundant life. In Matthew, the first major event of Jesus’ public ministry is his sermon on the mount, where he teaches the crowds from the mountain and comes across as one like Moses who brought down from the mountain. In Luke, Jesus first preaches, announcing his intention to heal and feed and release the captives and bring good news to the poor. First things matter.

Here, in John, the first thing Jesus does is go to a wedding.

How different from the other three. No healing, no preaching, no teaching. Just a wedding.

More than that, Jesus doesn’t only attend the wedding, but he saves the day, turning water into wine when the wine had run out. Why?

Perhaps the key is a line from John’s Prologue, the profound and poetic introduction to his telling of Jesus’ story. There John writes, “From his fullness, we have all received grace upon grace” (1:16). Not just grace, mind you, but grace upon grace. An abundance of grace in other words.

And that’s the case here, as well. To run out of wine at a first century wedding would not have been just embarrassing, but disastrous. Wine was associated with blessing, joy, goodness, and more. To run out of wine would have felt like a curse, like you’d run out of blessing. And Jesus doesn’t just offer enough wine to cover the balance, but turns six huge washing basins of water into wine, providing more wine – and blessing – than they could have possibly consumed. More than that, and as the steward acknowledges, it’s the best wine they’ve had.

Jesus, that is, creates abundance. Wine upon wine, blessing upon blessing, joy upon joy, and grace upon grace.

That is the tone of the opening of this narrative, and we should take note because, after all, the first event of a story matters.

Prayer: Dear God, draw our gaze toward you that we might receive blessing upon blessing and grace upon grace. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

Post image: “Marriage at Cana,” Giotto.