Weddings! Can you imagine a celebration other than a marriage that begins with such hope, connecting two families into one? I think a marriage is a perfect place to picture Jesus performing his first sign, turning scarcity into abundance, serving behind the scenes to ensure that the joy is unceasing.
Some people aren’t crazy about this sign. It smacks of waste. If the guests had finished off all the wine the bridegroom had purchased, why didn’t they just leave? Weddings in Jesus’ time went on for days. According to most scholars, the groom wasn’t cheap – more people than expected came and stayed. And you wonder why RSVPs are important!!
So Jesus’ mother knows the groom’s family will be embarrassed. And somehow, she believes Jesus can do something. Remember – Jesus hasn’t started preaching or performing miracles yet!
Imagine these huge stone water vessels. We have nothing like it that I can think of. The Jewish community would have used them for ceremonial washing. All together, the six of them held more than 120 gallons of water. So imagine a couple of bathtubs full of water – a lot of water, especially when you couldn’t just turn on a faucet! Someone had to go draw water. Jesus said, “Fill them up with water. Then draw some out and take it to the head of the banquet!”
Perhaps the servants thought Jesus himself had too much to drink. But they listened to Jesus and followed his instructions. The wine that the servants took to the steward wasn’t just any wine – it was better than the groom had provided!
The best wine. Far more than was needed. The celebration would continue. Much like God’s grace. Abundant, beyond our expectations. So much more than we deserve. God’s love poured out, running over, nourishing our thirsty souls.
Kind of an odd story for Lent. A mismatch, don’t you think? We talk about giving things up in Lent. Who here has ever given anything up for Lent? Chocolate? Coffee? Anything? Lent is a time of quiet reflection and preparation for Holy Week. We take the energy down. We’ve been pretty high energy from Advent to Christmas to Epiphany. In worship, we set aside the Alleluias between Ash Wednesday and Easter.
But maybe this is the kind of story we need. A story of celebration and abundance, surprise and overwhelm. A chance for us to remember a love so amazing. A love beyond our wildest expectations. This love didn’t just stop at healing people and confronting the powers that be. Jesus’ love went all the way to the cross for you. Love so powerful that death itself couldn’t stop it. So abundant that it is available to you, to me, and everyone. Absolutely everyone else.
Let us pray,
God of abundance – help us to see your love like the wine at the wedding. More than we expect or deserve. Love that never runs out. Love poured out for us in Jesus life, death and resurrection. Help us to be generous with our love, so people see Jesus through us.
Some people aren’t crazy about this sign. It smacks of waste. If the guests had finished off all the wine the bridegroom had purchased, why didn’t they just leave? Weddings in Jesus’ time went on for days. According to most scholars, the groom wasn’t cheap – more people than expected came and stayed. And you wonder why RSVPs are important!!
So Jesus’ mother knows the groom’s family will be embarrassed. And somehow, she believes Jesus can do something. Remember – Jesus hasn’t started preaching or performing miracles yet!
Imagine these huge stone water vessels. We have nothing like it that I can think of. The Jewish community would have used them for ceremonial washing. All together, the six of them held more than 120 gallons of water. So imagine a couple of bathtubs full of water – a lot of water, especially when you couldn’t just turn on a faucet! Someone had to go draw water. Jesus said, “Fill them up with water. Then draw some out and take it to the head of the banquet!”
Perhaps the servants thought Jesus himself had too much to drink. But they listened to Jesus and followed his instructions. The wine that the servants took to the steward wasn’t just any wine – it was better than the groom had provided!
The best wine. Far more than was needed. The celebration would continue. Much like God’s grace. Abundant, beyond our expectations. So much more than we deserve. God’s love poured out, running over, nourishing our thirsty souls.
Kind of an odd story for Lent. A mismatch, don’t you think? We talk about giving things up in Lent. Who here has ever given anything up for Lent? Chocolate? Coffee? Anything? Lent is a time of quiet reflection and preparation for Holy Week. We take the energy down. We’ve been pretty high energy from Advent to Christmas to Epiphany. In worship, we set aside the Alleluias between Ash Wednesday and Easter.
But maybe this is the kind of story we need. A story of celebration and abundance, surprise and overwhelm. A chance for us to remember a love so amazing. A love beyond our wildest expectations. This love didn’t just stop at healing people and confronting the powers that be. Jesus’ love went all the way to the cross for you. Love so powerful that death itself couldn’t stop it. So abundant that it is available to you, to me, and everyone. Absolutely everyone else.
Let us pray,
God of abundance – help us to see your love like the wine at the wedding. More than we expect or deserve. Love that never runs out. Love poured out for us in Jesus life, death and resurrection. Help us to be generous with our love, so people see Jesus through us.
Amen.
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