Lectionary: Epiphany 2(C)
Text: Psalm 36:5-10; John 2:1-11
Wedding Troubles
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| Marriage in Cana, Anders Eriksson, 1807 |
In most of our experiences, weddings, even after including dinners
that occur prior to the main event, don’t last more than a few days. The
weddings of Jesus’ society, however, lasted an entire week. And it wasn’t just
people coming together for one dinner and going home. The event went on day and
night for the entire week.
There was plenty that could go wrong. And in the wedding narrated
in John 2, something went very, very wrong. The wine ran out during the middle
of the week. That might not seem like such a catastrophe to our sensibilities. If
we run out of wine, we just have someone go to one of the liquor stores and
pick up some bottles or boxes.
But for illustration’s sake let’s imagine the entire
population of Petersburg celebrating the marriage of a couple of its residents[1],
and the party goes on day and night for 168 hours.[2]
“Responsible drinking” hadn’t yet entered the lexicon although outright
drunkenness would be strongly frowned upon.[3]
However, it would be an affront to the host and be considered socially
unacceptable to refuse to partake.[4]
And with the continuous feasting and drinking, the entire stock of all the
liquor stores in town gets depleted. Even if new stock was ordered that very same
day, the next shipment is at least a week away.
This is a grand failure on the part of the wedding planners
and caterers. Could they not accurately predict the amount of wine that would
be needed? They would be the laughingstock of the town and region for decades
to come. People would think twice about hiring them again. The groom and bride
would also bear the shame of hosting the most catastrophic wedding of the
century.
No Wine, Full of Shame
Picture what I just described as a present-day analogy to the
setting in which Jesus and his mother are found when the narrative opens in
John 2.
1 On the third day there
was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2
Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When
the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4
And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what concern is that to me and to you? My hour
has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do
whatever he tells you.” (John 2:1-5 NRSVue)
The scene is set. The principal characters have moved onto
stage.
For some reason, the author notes that it is the third day.[5]
We will return to this in just a little bit.
The wedding is in Cana, a village about 10 miles north of
Nazareth. The proximity of the two villages (about a half-day travel on foot)
implies that the wedding could have been of one of Jesus’ relatives. And that could
explain why Jesus’ mother seemed to have some involvement in the management of
the event. It also explains why Jesus and his new disciples, probably numbering
about five at this point, were also invited.
Sometime during the wedding week, the wine runs out. And
this is truly a catastrophe, since a Middle Eastern wedding is not just an
event, but a time when social hierarchies and standings are evaluated and
adjusted. Two families are joined through the wedding and new hierarchies of
honor are established. The wine running out is a shameful event for all who
were involved in the planning, organizing, and hosting the wedding. The shame
will continue to haunt them and their families for a very long time, perhaps
their entire lives.
When Jesus’ mother states, “They have no wine,” Jesus is
fully cognizant of the myriad implications that holds for the wedding couple,
their families, his mother, his family, and himself. Yet his response is
puzzling: “Woman, what concern is that to me and to you? My hour has not yet
come.” It seems like Jesus is not at all concerned about the immediate problem.
His thoughts seem to be elsewhere. We will return to this in a little bit.
Much has been made of the way Jesus addresses his mother as
“woman.” Suffice to say that scholars conclude that it was not a rude method of
addressing a woman, but it does seem to imply a kind of distance between the
two. The manner of address is not familial.
His mother either ignores what seems like Jesus’
indifference, or she understands what is going on inside his head. She turns to
the servants and places them under Jesus’ command.
Sidebar: Assumptions Made In Our Readings
There is a point that struck me while reading the setting of
this scene. We often talk and hear about how destitute Jesus’ family might have
been. But that might not be quite accurate. Jesus’ mother seems to have some
degree of status and authority among the families present. And then there is
the fact that John the Baptist and his family were from the priestly line and
would have had some of the comforts that go along with serving at the Jerusalem
temple. What might have happened to form our idea of economics of Jesus’ life is
that 1) the popular images of the circumstances of Jesus’ birth, 2) the
wilderness setting of John’s preaching, and 3) Jesus’ itinerant ministry might have
overly colored our ideas. To be fair, they were probably nowhere up to modern middle-class
standings, but it might be more accurate to say that they had some degree of
comfort and security in their daily lives.
Miscommunication and Misunderstanding
In the gospel according to John, the author frequently has
Jesus and his interlocutor communicating on different levels, often with
comedic results. One clear example is where Jesus speaks with Nicodemus.
Nicodemus is hearing and speaking at the human level of literal water and
birth. Jesus, however, is communicating at a metaphorical and spiritual level
where water and birth are infused with new, spiritual meanings.
I see something similar happening with the narrative of the
wedding. There are words and phrases that seem oddly placed and seem to have
little relevance when taken literally. But when they are interpreted as
prefiguring Jesus’ death and resurrection, the pieces begin to come together.
We earlier noted that the setting begins with “the third
day.” This could simply be a sequence of days, but it could also be an allusion
to Jesus’ resurrection. In the very next story where Jesus cleanses the Temple,
another reference to “three days” is made and here it is made explicit that
these three days refer to his resurrection.
But the phrase that ties the wedding story to Jesus’ passion
is his words, “My hour has not yet come.” Jesus repeats this several times
during his ministry until the final week (in chapter 12) where the phrase
changes to, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.”
At the end of this story, the narrator writes, “Jesus did
this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee and revealed his glory, and
his disciples believed in him.” (John 2:11) This is another signal that the
story is a partial revelation of God through Jesus, a revelation – an epiphany
– that will see its fullness in the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.
When Jesus’ mother informs him that “there is no wine,” she
is speaking literally. But Jesus’ response is at the spiritual and metaphorical
level. Unlike Nicodemus who will speak his confusion and misunderstanding,
Jesus’ mother simply accepts what Jesus says and turns to command the servants.
Did she realize Jesus’ words and its spiritual significance? The narrator
leaves this ambiguous.
Note that Jesus’ mother only appears here and at the
crucifixion, both times unnamed and referred to only as Jesus’ mother. Scholars
and commentators see in Jesus’ mother a picture of an idealized disciple, who
walks with Jesus and places her trust in him, even at the cross. From that
perspective, we might speculate correctly that Mary did indeed understand that
Jesus was turning her thoughts from literal wine to something else with deeper
meaning and purpose.
The Miracle Isn’t About the Miracle
With that in mind, there are several more points to glean
from the rest of the story.
When this story is told and interpreted, the focus is often
on the miracle itself. But for the narrator and Jesus, the miracle itself takes
a back seat. The miracle is not the point. In fact, John does not use the term “miracle”
but uses the word “sign” to report Jesus’ significant actions.
One point to consider is the transformation of ordinary into
extraordinary. The water jars were there for the ordinary rites of ceremonial
purification. Neither the jars nor the water that they held were consecrated in
any special manner. Jesus uses the ordinary vehicles of life and transforms
them into objects from which joy and celebration pours forth.
Another point to consider is that those in charge had no
idea from where this excellent wine suddenly arrived. The servants knew, and
Jesus’ disciples knew. But apparently no one else was privy to how exactly the
caterers found this delicious wine. In the same way, the kingdom of God may
arrive through unexpected sources, sources that may not be through the usual
channels that we expect God to use.
A third point to consider is regarding traditions and the
value of traditions. Sometimes tradition has value. Jesus did not get rid of
Judaism. But he was also critical of meaningless traditions. Jesus’ society
valued older traditions over new teachings. When the head caterer exclaimed, “Everyone
serves the good wine first and then the inferior wine after the guests have
become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now,” (John 2:10) it is meant
quite literally, but the writer of John also intends it to be understood
metaphorically.
The synoptic gospels include a parable about new wine in old
wineskins. John does not include it, but here in the wedding story, I see a
similar idea. The older traditions and such are not bad, but in Jesus,
something newer and better has arrived.
The Epiphany
Finally, what does this story reveal about Jesus? The text
says Jesus “revealed his glory.”
I think one of the things revealed is the abundance of God’s
grace and favor. If the wine here can be seen representing joy, celebration,
and the abundance of life, where it was running out Jesus not only replenishes
but does so with over-the-top abundance. Jesus provided 120 to 180 gallons of
wine.[6]
That converts to 600 to 900 standard bottles of wine.
Do we live our lives fearing about running out, or are we
able to live in abundance even when it might seem we are starting to run short
on some things?
Another epiphany is that Jesus cares about what humans think
is important. Even though the writer of John has Jesus speaking at a different
level, Jesus nevertheless takes care of the human need for celebration, to keep
shame at bay, and provide for material needs.
Modern Christians and Christian communities are generally
competent at talking about spiritual matters and providing programs to address
them. But how do we fare in meeting the emotional and material needs of our
fellow humans? How are we at promoting and preserving joy within our
communities?
This is only the first of the seven signs that John
records in his gospel account. But being the first should inform us that there
are several key revelations of God presented here.
If I was to summarize the epiphany of Jesus through this
first story, it would be this: Jesus places a high value on human celebration
and joy. Jesus offers us a way to change our perspective from living from scarcity
to living into abundance.
In the name of God who called Creation “good”,
In the name of God who became a part of Creation,
And in the name of God who challenges us to the work of
restoration and reconciliation of all Creation back to God, Amen.
Bibliography
Bartlett, D. L., & Taylor, B. B. (2009). Feasting
on the Word: Year C, Volume 1 (Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary).
Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press.
Dunn, J. D., & Rogerson, J. W. (2003). Eerdmans
Commentary on the Bible. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans
Publishing Co.
McGrath, J. F. (2021). What Jesus Learned from
Women. Eugene, OR: Cascade Books.
Paulien, J. (2003). John: The Beloved Gospel.
Nampa, ID: Pacific Press Publishing Association.
[1]
Western weddings, even though they are public events, still come from a private
perspective. The focus is the couple, and guests are typically family, friends,
and those specifically invited to attend. A Middle Eastern wedding of Jesus’
time is entirely a public and communal affair. We see this public nature
extended to banquets other than weddings and can often include unexpected
guests (c.f., Simon’s banquet, Mark 14:3-9; the uninvited wedding guest,
Matthew 22:10-13).
[2]
They probably do take time to sleep, but it is still continuous feasting and
celebration for an entire week.
[3]
We should note though that the alcohol content of wine was probably lower back
then than in today’s.
[4]
I am not advocating for or against drinking. Alcoholism and drunkenness are
serious issues that can be prevented and treated. This paragraph is a thought
experiment to overlay Jesus’ cultural norms into our time to better understand
what was happening between the words of the biblical text. We have modern
science which helps inform choices that we make regarding the consumption of
alcohol.
[5]
The Good News Translation uses “two days later,” while technically
correct, miss a theological significance of “the third day.” The GNT
also uses “miracle” instead of “sign” which may be more understandable in the
English vernacular, but also misses a theological point that the author of the
gospel is making.
[6]
I grew up in a denomination that advocated and required complete abstinence
from consuming alcohol. Interpretation of texts, as I see them now, involved a
considerable amount of motivated reasoning and cherry picking to explain away
the use and consumption of wine in the Bible, especially in the New Testament. What
I see now is that the Bible is multivocal and there is no singular, correct
view on the use of alcoholic drinks that can be found in the biblical text. For
me, the proper vs. improper use comes to an individual asking for themselves if
consuming alcohol ends up harming themselves and/or others, or if it can be a
tool to facilitate relationship building and joy. For some people, this will
mean that they cannot consume alcohol and perhaps need to avoid any environment
that includes it. For others, the degree and amount can vary. What I do believe
the Bible condemns is drunkenness to the point of losing control over one’s thoughts,
words, and actions, i.e., causing harm, and becoming addicted to its use, i.e.,
making it an idol on whose altar money, job, family, and relationships are
sacrificed.
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