Year C
John 2:1-11
The Very Rev. Denise Vaughn
Always Invite Jesus
After the visit of the Magi to the baby Jesus and the descent of the Dove at Jesus’ Baptism, the Epiphany season celebrates the beginning of miracles or “signs” as in John’s story today of the wedding at Cana. The plan of God for God’s people gradually unfolds today in a marvelous way at a marriage celebration as Jesus begins his public ministry with a wondrous sign: water is changed into fine wine. Years ago, when Johnny Carson was the host of ‘The Tonight Show,’ he interviewed an eight year old boy. The young man was asked to appear because he had rescued two friends in a coalmine outside his hometown in West Virginia.
As Johnny questioned the boy, it became apparent to him and the audience that the young man was a Christian. So Johnny asked him if he attended Sunday School. When the boy said he did, Johnny inquired, “What are you learning in Sunday School? “Last week,” the boy replied, “our lesson was about when Jesus went to a wedding and turned water into wine.” The audience roared, but Johnny tried to keep a straight face. Then he said, “And what did you learn from that story?” The boy squirmed in his chair. It was apparent he hadn’t thought about this. But then he lifted up his face and said, “If you’re going to have a wedding, make sure you invite Jesus!”
Jesus and his disciples were invited to attend a wedding at Cana in Galilee along with Jesus’ mother. In the two days he was traveling through Galilee to this event, he had called his first disciples. A wedding feast in those days was not just a brief ceremony, as our weddings today are, but could often last a week and be shared by the entire community with people coming and going all week. For the family of the bride to not be adequately prepared for how many people could show up during those seven days, was almost unthinkable. For a wedding to run out of wine was an omen that there was little chance that this particular marriage would reach its full potential or possibly find joy.
When the wine runs out, Mary turns to Jesus. It was obvious she felt he could solve the problem. Mary saw her son as one who could and should meet need, as many of his followers did and still do. Jesus’ answer to Mary is that his hour had not yet come. Jesus often expressed such a sense of divine timing in John’s gospel, and we can understand a good reason for Jesus’ reluctance. More wine at a wedding party where many may already have had enough wine, seems troubling. Yet, because this would be unthinkable for the bride’s family, Jesus gives in to his mother’s request and six stone jars of water become fine wine. John concludes this story by telling us that this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, had revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
This is in fact, the purpose of such “signs” or miracles, to point beyond themselves to what is being revealed through them. This story was remembered and recorded not to say something about wine, but to say something about Jesus. It is Jesus who has come to take the ordinary and transform it into something robust, hearty and joyful. It is Jesus who can transform us. In him is life and when he touches our lives, what is common and ordinary becomes beautiful because in him is all the fullness of God. It is significant that Jesus did not produce wine that was just good enough. God sent the very best, his Son. Through the resurrection and gift of the Spirit, Christ has turned the water of our lives into rich wine that gives glory to God.
Jesus is the generous giver. All the lessons today tell us not only about God’s steadfast love but also something about God’s incredible generosity. There is plenty – more than enough. The psalmist sings of it “With you is the fountain of life.” Isaiah can hardly contain himself. Jerusalem’s vindication is at hand. A new name is to be given. As a young man delights in and marries a young woman, so God rejoices over Jerusalem and shows off his bride to all the nations. God’s joy and Isaiah’s joy is that a new day is about to dawn in the relationship between God and the people.
This joy which is truly worthy and endures is joy over the people’s communion and community with God. God comes toward us with all the delight and joy that a bridegroom has for his bride. What a beautiful image of God’s grace that is full of attraction to and love for us. At Cana, when Jesus performs his first miracle, we get a glimpse through the bridegroom and bride of God’s great rejoicing over and love for each one of us. We see the power of God at work in bringing joy to a wedding. The disciples, John tells us see the exuberant, creative, power of God and it is a confirmation of faith for them.
Through the rest of their time with him they had to learn many other kinds of things about God’s power, but this joy and love is characteristic of God as we encounter him through Jesus. It is this point that we see made today in Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. God works in a wild variety of ways, and does not always follow our rules. The people of Corinth had received gifts beyond what they could understand. They find their own gifts enhanced and even taken over by powers that did not originate within themselves. Here Paul seeks to help the new Christians make sense of the fullness of life they now experience through Jesus Christ.
They want to understand the work of God and the gifts by which the work of God’s Spirit was made alive in their lives. So Paul offers a way for them and now us to know whether we are being guided by the Holy Spirit or listening to some other voice. Does it glorify God? The point of our faith is to enable us to say, and live, ‘Jesus is Lord’. The giving of spiritual gifts whose source is the Holy Spirit is to build a worshiping community, made up of people whose lives are directed to God. This community will rejoice in the use of gifts that help it, and us to grow in becoming the best wine. This love of God toward us and our love toward God is always about bringing the best wine to the table.
Alive in God’s Spirit, we can respond to the call to community with generous and gracious hearts because through the resurrection and gift of the Holy Spirit, God in Christ has turned the water of our lives into the richest wine that gives glory to God. Our wedding, our baptism binds us to the God of Jesus in an irrevocable way. God will not undo this covenantal love which always brings the best wine to the table. When we know and celebrate the love of the bridegroom for the bride, we are ready to be a gift to others. Today we are encouraged to come to the feast, hearts transformed by love so that “as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.” This is what it means to invite Jesus to the wedding which is always a good thing to do.