January 21, 2025


Dear friends in Christ, 


Our Gospel lesson this past Sunday was the account of Jesus turning water into wine at a wedding in Cana, in Galilee (John 2:1-11). The account of this first miracle – or sign, as John calls it – differs greatly from the first miracles in Matthew, Mark and Luke. The first miracles in those three Gospels are about Jesus healing persons who are suffering in body, mind or spirit. It is only in this first miracle in John’s Gospel that we see a different kind of sign, and a different kind of engagement of others in the community in the “making of the miracle.”


How?


Jesus’ mother, Mary, tells Jesus that the bridegroom’s household has run out of wine. She also steps in – where arguably she should not have exercised such authority in another household – in asking the household staff to do whatever Jesus tells them.


When Jesus does ask the staff to fill the large water jars with water, they take direction from him, though he is not the master of the household. For whatever reason they feel compelled to do so, they get to work, hauling perhaps 150 gallons or more of water – not an insignificant undertaking.


The steward in charge of the banquet tastes the fine wine that Jesus has made, and wonders why the bridegroom saved the best, the finest, for last.


This lesson is, for me, a commentary on how God uses us, in our world today.


If we see a need – if we see that something is amiss, if we see that all is not okay – like Mary, we should speak up.


If we need to enlist the support of others to assist in caring for a need around us, like Mary, we should speak up – even if we may question our “right” to ask for help. 


If we feel that God-nudge to do what is needed to help God’s people, like the household staff, we should roll up our sleeves and get to work – even if the work before us is hard and tedious, regardless of whether it’s required of us, whether or not we perceive it’s our responsibility – to make certain that justice and righteousness are accomplished.


And, yes, there may be times that what is required of us is only to pronounce God’s goodness, and the sweet taste of God’s love, for ears that need to hear.


There were lots of “roles” in this account of the first miracle in John’s Gospel – and I believe those roles remind us that we are all part of unfolding miracles every single day; we need only look around us. Now is not the time for silence or inaction. And, if we think that our voices, our hands, our hearts are not important to God’s work in the world, perhaps we should think about that a bit more. 



God’s peace,

+Dorothy