The Wedding at Cana

John 2.1-11

In our reading to day we heard the amazing story of the wedding at Cana, a reading which is full of symbolism.

It is important to remember that we are still in the Epiphany season, during which we hear many readings, which talk about  the light of Christ coming into the world. The wedding of Cana also reveals to us that light.  Unlike the other gospels John refers to the miracles Jesus carries out as “signs” and the one we heard today is the first sign John recorded. John wanted to communicate to us, very early on in his writings , the divinity of Jesus. That Jesus was the son of God.

The wedding of Cana must have been a great celebration. If any of you have seen a Jewish wedding you will understand what I mean. Unlike weddings in our culture the celebrations can last for up to a week. I have to say I find weddings in our culture exhausting and they only last a day. I could not imagine celebrating for a full week. When we attend weddings it is perfectly normal for us to buy our own drinks particularly in the evening. However at Jewish weddings it is the responsibility of the groom to ensure that there is sufficient food and wine for everyone. Can you imagine how much this would cost and how difficult it would be to estimate how much food and wine would be needed??

In the gospel John tells us that not only Jesus and his mother were at the wedding but also his disciples. Cana was a village about 8 miles north  of Nazareth and a lot of people were often related to each other so it is probable that Jesus knew the bridal couple. The fact that the wine ran out would have been a really big deal. Under Jewish law they were required to provide enough for everyone and not to have done so would have brought shame and disgrace upon the family. In Jewish culture  wine was often used as a metaphor for joy. There was a saying that “without wine there is no joy”. So running out of wine becomes a symbol for those times when life becomes anything but joyous and this wouldn’t have been appropriate for a wedding feast.

So when Mary tells Jesus that the wine has ran out she isn’t just saying it because she wanted another glass herself!. She is doing it out of concern for the family. Mary recognises that Jesus is the one person who could do something to help in this awful situation and trusts that he will do the right thing. She instructs the servants not to question but to  “Do what ever he tells you”

Jesus asks them to fill the six stone jars to the brim with water. Now these jars weren’t really to  be used to drink from as they were set aside for Jewish rites of purification. They were there to enable those present to comply with Jewish law. By using this water Jesus makes a statement. He was there to change the law. To make the old into new, but he was not replacing it but transforming, it bringing life to the old. He was giving a big clue to all those around him  as well as the disciples who were present, that he was here to transform the world and make all things new.

The transformation of the water into wine must have been an amazing experience to behold. You can imagine all of those present being completely amazed, stunned, dumbfounded. How did he do that? The disciples present must have at this point began to realize just who Jesus was.

But he didn’t just tranform water into any old wine. It was the best wine, so much so that they believed the best had been saved until last. John doesn’t record the fact that Jesus waved his arms over the water pots or said anything but it appears that he simply willed this to happen and it did. I am sure that this is how Jesus performs miracles and signs today, often in a low key and subliminal way.  However this miracle is quite different to the others recorded in the gospels. Most of Jesus miracles were concerned with healing the sick and making people whole again. This miracle in not a necessity but a luxury. It wasn’t critical that the wine was transformed but Jesus did it anyway out of compassion for his hosts. This, I think, illustrates clearly that Jesus concerns himself with all aspects of our lives. Both the critical and non critical.

We see evidence of Jesus transforming people all throughout scripture. Father Paul mentioned last week in his sermon about the conversion of St Paul, given that it was his feast day last week. The conversion of Paul on the road to Damascus,  is an example of one of the most dramatic and transformational events in the New Testament. But equally we see God at work in gentler ways where his intervention does not have to be a bolt of lightening such as in the story of Jairus’s daughter or the woman who touched his cloak and was healed.

At Christmas time recently, Bishop Mark gave each ordinand a Christmas gift. Which I thought was rather generous of him.  On opening it I found a copy of a book called In search of the lost. Bishop Mark wrote inside saying that it was one of the most inspirational books he had read that year. I have to say he is very good at recommending books and he was not wrong. The book tells the story of the Melanasian brotherhood. An order of Christian brothers, living a very simple and prayerful life in the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific.

In 2003 seven of the peace loving brothers were kidnapped as a result of ethnic conflict and for four months Christians all over the world prayed desperately for their release. The book is the diary entries kept by a young priest who was tutor and chaplain to the brothers and tells graphically of the harrowing story of their violent deaths and a community trying to come to terms with the tragedy. These seven brothers, peace loving people who lived their lives in service to others, were tortured and killed for their faith in ways too brutal and too upsetting to describe here.

 As you read the chapters, they tell of the challenges the remaining community had to face as a result of their great loss, and how they worked towards healing and reconciliation.

Several things struck me when reading this book but one thing in particular stood out. That despite the unimaginable pain they felt for their lost brothers, they allowed Jesus to transform their pain into Joy. As they gathered together in prayer they recognised Jesus presence amongst them and saw Christ as the liberator, the one whose presence sets people free. They didn’t allow hatred or bitterness to get in the way but as it says in the book

“When we let go and soak up the love from the Lord and others,  we have a whole new power to go on again”

This book is one of the most moving I have read in a long time. None of us can imagine the horror and devastation that this religious community faced. But the thing that struck me most as I read the last few pages of this book is that when Christ is allowed to abide, joy and transformation follows. This book, as much as it was about tragedy, was also about joy and hope and how Christ can transform us just as he transformed water into the very best wine.

The challenge of the Epiphany season is to invite Jesus into our situations – our lives – as Lord and Master – and let’s do whatever he tells us, just as the servants did when they filled the water jars. Because when we invite him in – look what can happen…!