Over the holidays, we had an abundance of Christmas cookies in the house. My daughter was home from college and put her free time to good use making batches and batches of our favorites. For weeks, snowballs and spritz cookies were always available for a snack or dessert. Yum! As I’ve pulled out cold-weather gear, I’ve noticed an abundance of winter hats (light cotton, cozy fleece, heavy wool) ready to keep me warm. The past couple weeks have brought a steady stream of texts from my daughters. They both live in other states and have been dealing with illness and new responsibilities that have led them to reach out for advice or just support.
This week’s gospel story faces the opposite of abundance at first. Jesus’ mom was at a wedding. Jesus and his disciples were there, too. The host ran out of wine, which surely would bring the days-long celebration to a premature end. When Jesus’ mom raises the issue with Jesus, he seems to dismiss her urging to get involved, yet in the end he instructs the servants to fill six large stone jars with water (20-30 gallons each). The servants drew some out and took it to the chief steward (who had no idea where this wine had come from). When he tasted it, he was amazed, saying that usually hosts serve the good wine early in the party, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. “But you have kept the good wine until now.” Jesus had transformed water into wine. Extraordinary wine. The best that had been served at the party.
Notice, hardly anyone knew about this amazing event, this “sign” as the gospel writer calls it. It is the first remarkable thing Jesus does in John’s gospel. Healings and other signs follow, but this is the first. And only Jesus and his mother, plus the servants who helped know what has happened. Not even the steward, the couple, and certainly not the guests. The first sign that indicates Jesus has come from God to change the world happens quietly in the midst of a community gathering. Quietly, Jesus made it possible for the hosts to avoid the disgrace of running out of wine and for the people gathered continue celebrating. Excellent wine in massive quantities. (I did the math – there was about 3,200 glasses of wine!)
Without fanfare or even, it seems, any realization from those celebrating at the wedding, Jesus creates an absurd abundance of wonderful wine. The party can continue. This sign tells us that God is here, doing amazing, frivolous, and wonderfully generous things.
Where do you notice abundance in your life?
Peace,
Alicia