Devotion for January 11, 2022

John 2:1-11

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.”

And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.”

His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.” So they took it.

When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.” Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

When I was 14 my sister was having her wedding in our home church. The only problem was the beautiful newly renovated sanctuary wasn’t complete. The mauve carpet was laid and about half of the wine-colored fabric covered pews were not installed (Hey it was the 80s). So after the rehearsal was over, several attendees went to their cars and found tools…and hour a few hours later the pews were installed and the next day went off with hardly a hitch (if you don’t count the concussion of the bride’s younger brother, but that’s another story for another day.

Most of us have probably been part of a wedding either as family or part of the wedding party, and if something needed to be done, you just rolled your sleeves up and made sure the day went well. It seems unlikely that the intent of this story by John is about Jesus doing what needed to be done, yet it’s hard to miss that Jesus did just that. Not only did he address the issue, he provided the bridegroom with a gift that not only avoided embarrassment of running out of wine but turned it to a moment of dignity by providing “the good stuff.”

Imagine if we sought ways to turn another’s misfortune into a moment of dignity and good fortune rather than one to exploit them for our own gain. Jesus shows us a better way. Let’s follow the better way.