Jesus sure knew how to make Baptists uncomfortable. Seriously, couldn't he have chosen a different first miracle? Healed someone? Made a lame man walk or a blind man see? Even better, he could have raised someone from the dead. Or calmed a sea. Or walked on water. Something. Anything. But no. Jesus' first miracle had to be turning water into wine.
He went to a wedding at Cana, a small town a few miles north of Nazareth, on the pass through the mountains to Galilee. Jesus' mother was at the wedding and he showed up with his disciples. A tragedy occured after he arrived. The wine ran out. Not sure how a Baptist preacher should comment on that one, but for the host at the wedding, it was a huge issue.
Mary saw it as an opportunity. For years she had probably repeated the stories of Jesus' supernatural birth and for three decades he had done nothing publicly to demonstrate that her story was true. He was unusual, for sure, and now he had gathered these men around him and was teaching them, but she was still waiting for him to do something to show his supernatural nature, his divinity. So she chided him a little to do something.
In an odd exchange, Jesus told his mother that his time had not yet come, then he proceeded to do as she asked. Mary told them to do as he said - always good advice. Jesus instructed them to fill six jars, each holding 20-30 gallons of water to the brim. He then told them to take some of the water to the master of the feast, who marveled at the quality of the wine (again, no comment!). Usually, he said, someone brings out the cheap wine at the end of the feast when people are tipsy and the palate is less discerning. But Jesus' miraculous drink was the best of all.
What to learn from this? I'm sure people will draw many and varied conclusions, but the key here has to do with the metaphor of wine used in many places in Scripture. It often signifies life, joy and vitality. Jesus took water - plain, simple water - and he turned it into wine. He takes the humdrum routine of life and infuses it with joy and vitality.
Father, thank you for your Son, who takes the bland water of my life and miraculously turns it to joy and vitality. Your Son is life and joy and hope. Thank you for Jesus.
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