Pastor’s Corner February 2010
Through most of this year, our Gospel readings are from Luke. But we took a DETOUR, and we heard from John. What we HEAR is about the FIRST ACT of MINISTRY that Jesus performs in that Gospel. And it is a STRANGE ONE.
The FIRST one, TURNING WATER INTO WINE, that sticks out as ODD. Why does Jesus start out his ministry supplying WINE for a PARTY? Why not do something, well, a little more SIGNIFICANT?
Take into account the situation, though. We have here a FIRST-CENTURY JEWISH WEDDING in a village named CANA, just down the road from Nazareth. Weddings there were an even a BIGGER DEAL than they are now. And a wedding DIDN’T last for a FEW HOURS. It went on for SEVEN DAYS –– seven days! The ENTIRE COMMUNITY was INVITED. Wine was ESSENTIAL to these WEDDINGS.
So this young couple, just married, was running out of wine in the MIDDLE of their WEDDING FEAST. What a DISAPPOINTMENT! What a DISASTER! The moment is fast approaching when this joyous wedding celebration is about to CRASH into the brick wall of SOCIAL DISASTER. So Jesus ACTS. He tells the wait staff to FILL with WATER a half dozen big stone jars and drag them over to the banquet manager.
Curious about what’s in the JARS, the manager takes a SIP. It’s WINE! Really good WINE!
NOT the sort that comes with a SCREW TOP, but the wine that appears on FANCY MENUS at an OUTRAGEOUS PRICE. This CANA VINTAGE, only a FEW MINUTES OLD, is really good wine, and there’s enough to FLOAT A BOAT. Why was the best wine saved for the last?
Again, it’s an ODD way to LAUNCH A MINISTRY. Or is it? First,– what Jesus does is an act of COMPASSION,– meeting the needs of people WHERE THEY ARE.
Also, it says something about the SIGNIFICANCE of MARRIAGE in the EYES OF GOD. "The BOND and COVENANT of MARRIAGE was established by God in CREATION– and our Lord Jesus Christ adorned this manner of life by his PRESENCE and first MIRACLE at a wedding at Cana in Galilee."
Jesus comes inviting us to live in a world where he has TRANSFORMED that which is ORDINARY into that which is HOLY. As you go through this coming month, I INVITE YOU to THINK about this story of Jesus at the WEDDING feast in CANA turning WATER into WINE taking something ORDINARY and making something SPECIAL of it and, in the PROCESS, removing the BURDEN of GUILT from a YOUNG COUPLE’S SHOULDERS saving them from a LIFETIME of SHAME.
And then ASK YOURSELF, "Am I EMBRACING the WINE that Jesus has GIVEN ME?
Do I see MY LIFE as SOMETHING SPECIAL — something HOLY? Do I see my MARRIAGE and my FAMILY as something HOLY? Do I see my WORK as something HOLY? Or have I succumbed to the temptation to TURN Jesus’ WINE back into WATER? Am I settling for being LESS than God created me to be?"
JESUS came to make something holy of YOUR LIFE. LET HIM do that for you. LET HIM CHANGE the WATER into WINE for you. LET HIM make SOMETHING HOLY of your life.