Sharing abundance
“Transform the poverty of our nature by the riches of your grace, and in the renewal of our lives make known your heavenly glory”
Many years ago now, when Mike and I were still farming in Suffolk, we hosted for a number of years the annual church barbeque which became very much a village event The local butcher would provide copious quantities of meat, the children and I would spend the day making salads and desserts, villagers would lend barbeques. The evening would progress very joyfully on our lawn and occasionally in the granary if the weather was not kind. It was a fun event with much laughter, children would disappear across the fields, and reappear when either they got hungry or it began to get dark; and our dogs thought they had gone to heaven as people fed them juicy left-overs. Then one year it went just a little pear-shaped. It had become a tradition that various men would place themselves at the carving stations, and this had always worked very well. But this particular year, warm and sunny as it was, I suspect a little too much wine had been consumed prior to carving which resulted in errors of judgement in portion size. It suddenly became clear that we were going to run out of meat before everyone had been fed. What to do! Cars disappeared down the farm lane and reappeared moments later with meat in various guises that could be quickly barbecued and added to supplies. Most people were initially completely unaware of what had happened, but it was this particular barbeque that lodged itself in the memory of many in the village, and is still recalled from time to time when old friends get together. And it came flooding back to me when I read again the story of the wedding at Cana in Galilee.
A wedding was a real community event, as they still are in some places, and it was not unknown for the all the local community to be invited. According to Jewish tradition, the Wedding banquet would be held at the home of the bridegroom, and could go on for anything up to a week. I struggled to get the catering right for an evening – there would be no hope for a week!
And so it was that Mary, Jesus and at least some of the disciples were at this wedding in Cana. There is no mention of who is getting married, but there is an indication that whoever it is might be related in some way to Mary, for as John tells the story, Mary seems to be in a position where she is organizing things. The wine, we are told, runs out. So what, you may ask. Rather like my meat, it was an obvious inconvenience, even an embarrassment, but in truth there was the potential for it to be much more significant than that, for some sources indicate that it was not unknown in such circumstances for the bride’s family to sue the family of the bridegroom. I am grateful that such customs did not apply to barbeques in a small Suffolk village. Concerned, Mary turns to her son whose response was not as brusque as might first appear, but more akin to – ‘Not now, Mother, please’. But Mary seems to ignore his response and simply says to the servants ‘Do whatever he tells you’. You get the feeling that in spite of what Jesus said, she knew he would in some way help this young family.
John then gives us this lovely little detail – there were six huge stone water jars standing to be used by the people for the purification rites. Between them, these jars hold a vast quantity of water – in the region of 180 gallons. Clearly there will be much washing before and after food, and ritual cleansing of cups, plates and cooking equipment. Following Jesus instructions, the servants ensure that these stone jars are filled to the brim. Only then does Jesus tell them to draw some of the water, and take it to the steward. The steward samples it and then summons the bridegroom, flabbergasted that custom has not been followed which dictates that the best wine is not only served first but served in plenty before the poorer wine is produced. But you, he says, have saved the best wine until now! We don’t know the bridegrooms response – John doesn’t share that snippet with us, but he does disclose the response of some of the other guests at this wedding:
“This is the first of the signs by which Jesus revealed his glory and led his disciples to believe in him”. What a transformation in so short a time! It was only days before that Nathanael had questioned whether anything good can come from Nazareth!
And so the partying could continue, joy unimpeded. From what John tells us, the majority of people were completely unaware of the original problem and equally unaware of the source of the solution. By all accounts, the majority of the revellers have absolutely no idea at all that they have been participants in our Lord’s first miracle at a wedding at Cana-in-Galilee.
I wonder how often we are like those guests, unaware of the blessings of God that fill our lives day by day. We so easily take for granted the miracle that is life itself and loose something of that ability so natural in a child – the ability to wonder: we simply pick up our glass and continue to enjoy the party.
At Cana-in-Galilee, an abundance of water is turned into vast quantities of the finest wine – an extravagant gift freely given with no apparent demands placed upon the wedding party. It was the word of Jesus himself that resulted in this incredible transformation and draws our minds back to the Old Testament, to Genesis where the word of God alone brought order out of chaos, brought creation into being. Here, at this simple wedding, the new creation reveals himself – God has come among us with the promise that in and through Christ, He will pour out on us and all creation grace upon grace in extravagant abundance. The religious law and ritual that had for so long held so many captive or feeling outside and beyond God’s love was being transformed. The wedding banquet heralded a new dawn for the bridegroom and his bride, and for all God’s children.
Last week, John Conrad was talking about the baptism of Jesus and reminded us that the work Our Lord went on to complete was a direct response to the love of his Father that he heard affirmed in those words “This is my son, my beloved, in whom I am well pleased”. In this first miracle, we see a revelation of the abundance of God’s love for all his children.
Jesus response to His Fathers love was to undertake and complete the very costly work he was born to do. The disciples’ response as they witness the events at a simple wedding at Cana in Galilee was to believe in this man who had called them.
God’s will for every one of us is that we should have life, and have it abundantly, and I dare to believe as I reflect on the joy within this story that He longs for us to have a life filled with joy and peace. Day by day, as St. Paul says, God pours out his blessings, his gifts, upon us in so many rich and varied ways. How shall we respond? Week by week, sometimes day by day, people gather in churches and cathedrals up and down the country, throughout the world to celebrate that miracle of grace and transforming love poured out upon us through Jesus’ death and resurrection. How shall we respond? Do we hold that in the silence of our hearts, or allow the experience to inform the outworking of our lives.
Like the guests at that wedding at Cana in Galilee, let us rejoice and be glad. But more – we are compelled to share the experience of that joy with all, and especially those who know so little joy in their lives.
Lesley McCormack, 17th January, 2010
