When I think of a Jewish
wedding, I can’t help but picture the wedding scene in Fiddler on the
Roof. It is easy for me to imagine myself attending such a sacred event full of symbolism and romance and then enjoying the fun after party, so different and yet so much
the same as our modern-day weddings.
Can
you see it?
Lots of music, amazing dances, food spilling onto the tables and cups running over with wine. So much joy. So much love. So much hope. Kind of makes me want to crash a wedding!
A long time ago in
a city far, far away there was another wedding feast I would love to have
crashed; a glorious celebration in honor of a new bride and groom. This one was also Jewish and set in Cana of
Galilee. Oh what I would give to have
seen it with my own eyes.
You may have heard the
story, it is famous after all. It’s even
in the BIBLE. Jesus was there and played
a big, unexpected role that day. It became
the scene of his first publicly recorded miracle, an interesting choice for the
Messiah if you ask me. There are so many things
to unpack in this story, but I can’t help but wonder about the things that were
left untold, especially as it relates to the bride.
I wonder if she ever even
knew what happened? We will likely never know because the text does not indicate if the bride, groom, or guests were aware of the situation. But still, I wonder......maybe, just maybe she did catch wind of the situation. If so, I really want to know what she felt. Can you put yourself
in her shoes? A nervous young woman,
excited, full of trepidation, celebrating her new union, anticipating her wedding
night, envisioning her entire future. And
they go and run out of wine. At the
biggest party of her life! Uh-oh. Did the guests suspect there was a problem? Did she look around and imagine whispers, disappointment, and judgment on the faces of her guests? Did she worry that the gossip
mongers would flay her in the court of village opinion? Did she panic at
the thought of HER wedding becoming infamous?
Did she cry? Did she fear that
it foretold a future empty of provision? Perhaps these are questions for heaven, but I still like to contemplate them here on earth.
And what about the ones who most likely DID know what was happening. The ever faithful servants. Those in the trenches, laboring unnoticed to make the party go off without a hitch. Isn't that the way it usually is? I envision them eyeing each other and shaking their heads surreptitiously. Maybe whispering about the impending doom when the wine jugs ran dry, nervously wondering if they would somehow be blamed for the gross miscalculation.
Enter a compassionate mama who had been through the ringer of the gossip mill already, what with that virgin birth and all....
- Mary asked Jesus to help.
- Jesus told her it wasn't his time yet.
- Mary knew better and knowingly instructed the servants to do whatever he asked.
- Jesus considered his options.
- Mary waited and perhaps smiled in anticipation of what her son would do next.
And then Jesus.
He asked the servants to fill 6 stone jars with water. Not just any old jars mind you, but those reserved for the Jewish rites of purification. Those huge jugs, with a capacity to hold 20-30 gallons, were likely full of dirt, bacteria, and the last dregs of polluted water from who knows how many filthy hands. Sounds delicious.
Once they were full he instructed a servant to take a cup of the “water” to the wedding master, and shockingly he did! I may very well have run the other way, shaking my head and telling people that the guest named Jesus was a lunatic. But that servant obeyed without pause and did what Jesus asked. Just like that. We all know what happened next. That dirty water became the BEST wine anyone had ever tasted.
Whoa. A miracle. At a wedding.
Using wine. If I had been a guest I
would have spent the rest of the feast watching Jesus, completely ignoring
the bride and groom, and possibly (doubtfully) even the food. Maybe that’s why he
kept it to himself, so the rest of the guests would not get distracted. He wasn't ready to reveal himself just yet, but a few saw what he did and became very loyal followers.
I’ve read, studied, and listened
to many sermons about this miracle. Everyone
has an opinion, and most are much smarter and have studied Biblical history more than I have. I don’t pretend to know or understand all of the nuances, but I do
believe it was significant that this was the scene of miracle numero uno.
So what gives? Why now?
Why a wedding? Why wine?
To be honest, I have NO idea. I just have some personal thoughts and observations that a theologian would probably trash. But, the thing about Scripture is that every time I read it God teaches me something new, even when I have read the story a hundred times. Or, sometimes He just uses it to remind me of something I already knew. For this particular miracle, I have been pondering some of the following things:
The venue is curious. Why a wedding? And why wine? Didn't he know that many Western Christians would be teetotalers, unwilling to admit it was REAL wine? In all seriousness, I was taught to believe it was grape juice, or that the alcohol was minimal and only used to rid the water of dangerous bacteria. Frankly I find that explanation ludicrous now and drink REAL WINE every Sunday during communion. But I digress, perhaps the fact that Jesus chose a wedding for his first publicly recorded miracle has something to do with the church being the bride of Christ. A foretelling of our own glorious wedding feast with Jesus. One with no stress,
no lack of provision, and no judgment.
Also fascinating is his odd response to his mother's petition. It always makes me smile and shake my head. Was he trying to put Mary in her place as a mere human? Was he trying to increase her faith? Was it simply normal, teasing banter between mother and son? Did he want to make sure those around him knew what he was about to do? This was probably the first miracle his disciples ever witnessed. Not to mention the servants. Did they think he was just a few cards short of a full deck? Were they instant believers once the wedding master tasted the wine? So many unanswered questions!
Mary must have seen him perform miracles in the past. She knew he would not let the bride, groom, or the hosts be humiliated. She asked him to intervene and believed he would despite his initial response. Her faith did not waiver. She prepared for the unexpected. She instructed the servants to obey. She waited expectantly. And he revealed his deep love for her by providing, likely above and beyond what she could have ever imagined. He provided the wine. He prevented the humiliation of the wedding hosts, bride, groom, family. All because Mary asked, believed and then waited. He loves us that much too. For a girl who fears lack, the thought flattens me; it is so powerful and humbling. He is always ready to do the same for those who put their trust in him. Sometimes with a miracle, and sometimes simply by using others to be his hands and feet, but make no mistake, he will always provide. And he will almost never do it in the way we expect.
Above all things what I love the most about this miracle is how it mimics what he does for us. He takes dirty, earthen vessels and fills them with the choicest wine. He takes ordinary things and makes them spectacular. We need only ask, believe, obey, and wait for him to act.
What stands out to you about this miracle?
What stands out to you about this miracle?
