If my upbringing was correct, then at the wedding in Cana, the water Jesus turned into wine - was more a grape juice and definately non alcoholic. Thankfully Northern Ireland Presbyterians were wrong on this fact, but despite the false belief, I endured many a Northern Ireland wedding where at the reception it was death by orange juice or if the couple were being a bit more daring a sparkling non alcoholic white grape drink whose brand i am not prepared to advertise on here was served.
The story of the wedding at Cana is an amazing story - we know nothing about the couple or why Jesus was invited. Jesus, like the rest of us, had to endure a mother who doesn't listen. She may think more about the embarassment of the wedding host, and isnt prepared to listen Jesus' excuse or maybe she sees that the wedding will be fine as Jesus is there and lets face it - we in the church try and encourage couples to have Jesus in their marriage.
The party had been going for a while and i am sure the guests had a good time and were probably rather drunk - but the problem was clear, festivities were soon to be over because once the wine would be done, the guests wouldnt hang about much (not a lot changes!) Drunken guests are not overly happy when the free bar ends before they are ready to stop!
Mary is concerned for the people hosting the wedding and even though Jesus protests that His time has not yet come, she tells the master of the banquet to do whatever he says! Does she recognise in her Son His divinity and the power that he will exercise in His public ministry? Is she wanting to show off the Son of God to the world and hope this will be a very public miracle or does she just believe he can solve the problem?
Jesus instructs that theJars used for washing are filled. The ordinary is used and then some water is drawn off and now best wine is discovered. The party is due to go on for a long time as there is now about 188 litres of the best wine saved until the end of the party.
Jesus takes the ordinary and transforms it - and there the celebration continues.
Many years ago i attended Greek classes, to say i learned anything would be a lie. Our lecturer was an amazing minister who examined the greek from John's Gospel. He said this story was purposely placed after the clearing of the temple because if we want to see the wine of the Kingdom of God, then there must be a clearing out of the temple first. If we want the abundance of God's kingdom then all that would distract must be cleared.
St Paul in his letter to the Corinthians reminds us that our bodies are temples to God, and so if we are to enjoy the vast blessings and the wine of the kingdom maybe a spiritual spring clean is necessary.
The wedding at Cana points us beyond the immediate to the great wedding banquet in heaven, where Christ will be the bridegroom and the church will be the bride and the best will be saved until the last but the party will never end!
In the wedding at Cana, Jesus is revealed to at least a few by His miraculous transformation - and the transformation was only noticed when the servants did as they were told to fill the jars of water and the master of the banquet drew of the water.
The mighty acts of the Kingdom of God however were displayed to all the guests and yet many don't realise God's goodness. Many accept God's goodness without ever saying thanks to Him day by day. At the beginning of John's Gospel we are told he came into his own but his own did not recieve him or he came into that which he created before the world but they didnt notice.
The wedding at Cana points to the bountiful gifts of the kingdom of God - If we are to follow Christ, there at times is a need to take the ordinary and in the master's hands to see that transformation. Let him take us and use us to speak the love of Christ to a weary world.
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