An alternative title for the feast of Epiphany is ‘The
Manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles’ and at the end of today’s gospel,
John the gospel-writer tells us that in this beginning of miracles which Jesus
did in Cana of Galilee he ‘manifested forth his glory.’
The Marriage at Cana is one of the best-known New
Testament stories, and a popular one with Jesus providing something like 120
gallons of wine – some party! – some miracle! This is super-abundance,
telling us of God’s generosity. Jesus saved the bridegroom from embarrassment
when the wine gave out. From what we know of first-century wedding traditions,
this event looks to be fairly typical.
Apparently, in Cana, weddings were usually held on a
Wednesday evening. The couples would wear wedding robes and crowns on their
heads, and they would be treated like a king and a queen. After the ceremony
they would be led home by torchbearers filling the street with light. A canopy
would be carried over their heads, just like royalty. Bride and groom would not
go away for a honeymoon but instead have ‘open house’ and a party, which
would last for a week. It could be that Jesus and his disciples arrived later on
for this ‘open house’ gathering, which may be why Mary was apparently there
first. Some have even suggested that it was the arrival of Jesus with his twelve
friends which led to the crisis with the wine running out. Guests would have to
wash their hands and feet on arrival, which explains the presence of the six
stone water jars.
Now we can simply enjoy the story and rejoice in the
miracle, or we can dig deeper into the text. John records that this is the first
miracle, or, in another version, ‘sign’ that Jesus did. It is Jesus’
mother who alerts him to the predicament of the shortage of wine. Some people
think Jesus’ reply to his mother sounds a little harsh, but it need not have
been. He might have been saying ‘You don’t quite know what’s going on
here; just leave it to me.’ And he added, “My hour has not yet come.”
Jesus saw his life in terms of God’s purpose for himself, and generally in
John’s gospel, he talks of his ‘hour’ as being the moment of being
lifted-up on the cross. It’s significant that even though Mary would not have
understood all this fully, she had enough faith in her son to tell the servants
‘Do whatever he tells you.’ A message there for us to trust in God even if
we do not see the way clearly.
Some commentators see in the six stone water jars a
representation of the old Jewish religion, which Jesus had come to supersede.
Six is an imperfect number in biblical terms – lots of things in the bible are
in 3s, 7s, 12s or 40s, but not 6s. Jesus had come to bring something better. The
moment of the miracle is not recorded, just its effect. What has happened isn’t
made clear until Jesus says to the servants “Now draw some out.” It is
significant that the steward of the feast did not know where this superior wine
had come from, but the servants who drew the water knew. Just a mere detail of
the story? Or is the gospel-writer pointing out what becomes clear throughout
Jesus’ life, that it was seldom the religious leaders of the day or the people
in authority who accepted his message, and the good news he brought, but
ordinary people in the street – the outcasts, the tax-collectors, the
prostitutes, those more likely to be servants at a wedding feast than hosts.
And then the tantalising final word of the dialogue
that goes on, the steward saying to Jesus, “You have kept the good wine until
now.” Most people serve the good wine first, and then the inferior when the
good has run out, but you have kept the best wine until now.
Is it a coincidence that all this took place at a
wedding? Weddings and the images of bride and bridegroom occur frequently
throughout the bible. Today’s reading from Revelation rejoices in the marriage
of the Lamb, and says how blessed are those who are invited to his marriage
supper.
The Church is often referred to as the Bride of Christ
in the New Testament, and as members of the Church we are the ones invited. An
ancient antiphon or refrain for this Epiphany season says, “Today the Church
is joined to her heavenly Bridegroom; Christ washes away her sins in the Jordan;
the Magi hasten with gifts to the royal wedding, and the guests rejoice in the
water made wine.”
Tom Wright, a former Bishop of Durham, in one of his
commentaries, says this: “Pause to reflect on God’s choice of weddings as
signs of his glory. When we leave church, or rise from prayer, would people
mistake us for wedding guests? For party-goers? Why not? Did we ‘do whatever
he tells you’ – as Mary instructs the steward at Cana? Did we see his glory
and believe?”
The wedding at Cana speaks of Jesus bringing new life
to old and weary situations – and joy to the world. Marriages, as I have often
told couples in preparation, have to be worked at. And we are invited to this
royal wedding with Jesus. We can accept, but as with all invitations to
weddings, we would want to prepare ourselves for the occasion, perhaps by
putting on the ‘fine linen, bright and pure’ that the author of Revelation
mentions, adding that ‘the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.’
Today we find ourselves in the Week of Prayer for
Christian Unity. Some might say that the Church shows no more signs of unity
than when the week of prayer started in 1908. It is true that many issues cause
divisions among Christians; issues of doctrine, of biblical interpretation; of
church practice. However, so much has been achieved in better understanding
amongst the denominations, and in worshipping with each other, and in joining
together to work on issues of justice and peace and social concern. This year’s
theme for the Week of Prayer is ‘Abiding in Christ.’ The material for the
week notes that ‘We need a long period of maturation, an entire lifetime, in
order to plumb the depths of Christ’s love; to let him abide in us and for us
to abide in him. Without our knowing how, the Spirit makes Christ dwell in our
hearts, and it is through prayer, by listening to the word, in sharing with
others, by putting into practice what we have understood, that the inner being
is strengthened.”
We all know how our human resources can and do run
out. We become exhausted; our batteries need recharging; we need to be refreshed
and renewed. Perhaps you’re feeling that you’ve reached the bottom of the
barrel in this rather arid time of pandemic, with all its restrictions on daily
life.
But Jesus came that we might have life, and have it
abundantly. Abiding in him, we find our drained resources are renewed with his
generosity and power, and we can be assured that ‘the good wine is being kept
until now.’