and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.” (John 2:9, 10 NIV)
The story of the weddding at Cana and the water turned to wine is certainly in my top 10... maybe even five most loved Bible stories. It's not just because I love wine, although that is certainly part of it. I love that Jesus loved wine enough to make it "choice wine." I love that Jesus wanted others to enjoy wine too.
But what I love most about this story is that it is about abundance. There is always enough in God's world. No one on earth should ever want for anything. God has provided enough to go around. No... not just enough... an abundance! The problem is... us. There is not enough to go around to everyone in the world only because we refuse to see it. And because we refuse to participate in God's abundance.
If we look at this story we see that others had to participate and we have to be willing to see the miracle. Unfortunately, most of us are so afraid that someone else will get our share of the abundance unless we grab it up along with as many other shares as we can. But the best miracle of abundance is the opposite of that. It turns out that the more we give away, the more abundance we receive. Sometimes it is material and sometimes it is the real abundance of life... the stuff that comes from really living unconformed to the world.
Father,
You are a God of abundance. Help us to figure out what that means for us in this world. Amen.
Joys: fun day at work with Rickie and Pat; quiet night at home; possible snow!
Jn. 1:14 speaks of the abundance, the fullness of glory, of grace and truth in Jesus; then 1:16 says from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. I think this begins to be explained in 1:31-34, where John the Baptist says that while he baptizes with water, the one on whom he will see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who will baptize with the Spirit. Jesus is full of the Spirit that remains with him, and will give this Spirit to his disciples in the future.
ReplyDeleteIn Jn. 2 his hour has not yet come (to depart and return to the Father, as in 13:1), but he gives this new wine anyway as a sign of the glory he has, and that he will give to his disciples when his hour comes. In Jn. 14-16 Jesus says when he leaves them he will give them the Paraclete, the Spirit of truth, which will remain with them. This Spirit has been speaking the truth through Jesus (as 3:34 says, For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for it is not by measure that he gives the Spirit). This same Spirit is given to us, his disciples, and thus we too can continue to speak the truth of Jesus again and again.