The wedding at Cana.
Song:
A man there lived in Galilee - YouTube
Reading:
John’s gospel, Chapter 2, verses 1 to 11
I rather liked this hymn about the reading. The tune is familiar to most people. In this version, there are 5 verses of the music, so just stop it after the fourth verse.
Jesus
attended a wedding one day
with his disciples who followed his
way,
But then a problem became known to him,
Wine had
extinguished; the party was grim.
Jesus’
dear mother came up to her son,
“help us for we need to serve
everyone.”
But he dismissed her; it was not his hour.
She
bid them listen for strong was his pow’r.
Jars
filled with water stood there side by side.
Jesus said, “draw
some out;” they did abide.
When the chief steward drew drink
from the jar
they were amazed for now stocked was the bar.
Jesus,
please help us, when scarcity knocks,
May not our doubts all
become stumbling blocks,
Free us to trust your abundance of
grace,
Help us believe and your truth to embrace.
Copyright 2015 Stephen M. Fearing | www.stephenmfearing.com
For all her prominence in our tradition, we don’t really know much about Mary, and we have very few records of her actions. By the time of this event, Jesus was about 30, and she had had all this time to wonder about him, and what he was about. We don’t know what Jesus had done with most of the last 30 years, the only account we have was when he went to the temple, and then Mary lost him. She had no doubt decided that he was in some way different from his contemporaries, although perhaps she was not fully aware how different.
They had gone to a local wedding, we don’t know whose wedding it was, nor how many people were present. But there had been a miscalculation, the wine had run out. This would have reflected badly on the hosts, and perhaps affected their standing in the community. Mary was concerned for her hosts, and brought the problem to the attention of Jesus, perhaps he already knew, but he dismissed her, saying that it was not yet his time.
Mary was not to be discouraged, but apparently did not nag at Jesus, instead she told the servants to do whatever he told them. She obviously had faith that Jesus would be able to solve the problem.
Even in the face of his apparent lack of interest, she persisted in her efforts to involve Jesus in the solution. Events proved her faith to have been rewarded.
Without her faith, nothing would have happened.
Song:
Give me the faith which can remove - YouTube
Of course, nothing could have happened if others had not played their part. Surely the servants would have wondered what he was trying to do when he told them to fill the water containers provided for ritual ablutions. What does this have to with the party?” they would have been thinking. “Everyone is here, and there is now no need for ablutions.” But they did as Mary asked, and followed Jesus’ instructions.
Then, without apparently doing anything, Jesus told them to take some water to the chief steward.
The verdict? “Better than anything that we have already had!”
Whilst we don’t know how many people were at the wedding, the sudden appearance of about 150 gallons (675 litres, or 900 bottles) would not have gone unnoticed.
Without the obedience of the servants, nothing would have happened.
Behold the servant of the Lord
Behold the servant of the lord - YouTube
In Matthew’s gospel, chapter 9, Jesus refers to his message as “New wine”. Something that had not been around before. In this story of his first recorded miracle, the wine is described as better than the wine had been before, at the start of the wedding. Jesus’ message is proclaimed to be better than what had gone before.
In this story we see the importance of faith, and of obedience. It shows what can result from faith and obedience, even in unexpected situations, even when we do not understand what it is we are being asked to do.
We see the ability of Jesus to change the mundane into the extraordinary.
Prayer:
Thank you for helping us to make it through this difficult year. Thank you that you’ve carried us through the uncertainty of deep waters, through the flames of trials, and through the pain of hard losses. We are constantly aware of how much we need you, your grace, your strength, your power working through even the toughest days.
Help us to keep our focus first on you this season. Please forgive us for giving too much time and attention to other things, for looking to other people before coming to you first. Help us to reflect again, on you. Thank you that you came to give new life, peace, hope, and joy. Thank you that your power is made perfect in our weakness.
Help us to remember that the gift of Christ, Immanuel, is our greatest treasure. Fill us with your joy and the peace of your Spirit. Direct our hearts and minds towards you. Thank you for your reminder that both in seasons of celebration and in seasons of brokenness, you’re still with us. For you never leave us. Thank you for your daily powerful Presence in our lives, that we can be assured your heart is towards us, your eyes are over us, and your ears are open to our prayers. Thank you that you surround us with favor as with a shield, and we are safe in your care.
We choose to press in close to you today, and keep you first in our hearts and lives. Without you we would surely fail, but with you, there is great hope. Thank you for your healing power, thank you for bringing us into this new season up ahead. We look forward to all that You still have in store.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Content gathered from "A Prayer for Hope after a Hard Year" by Debbie McDaniel.
Song:
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