Okay, Lent time again. Whether you’re giving something up or taking something on, I hope these next weeks will bring comfort and insight. Over here on the Bar Chaplain blog, I want to spend some time looking at the person of Jesus through the lens of the Gospel of John. In John, Jesus performs seven signs which give hints about who he is and the needs he’s addressing. Note that they’re not just called “miracles,” but “signs.” They’re messages to us about Jesus. For example…

Jesus Turns Water into Wine (John 2:1-11)

I’ll admit that I often enjoy talking about this story in relation to alcohol. “Hey, Jesus isn’t anti-alcohol. He appreciates good wine at a party.” But I know such an interpretation is anachronistic. This story ultimately has very little to do with alcohol and everything to do with hospitality.

If you think modern weddings have gotten too big, avoid the ancient Galilee! Weddings in Jesus’s culture were huge multiple-day affairs that would involve an entire community and cost a small fortune. Running out of wine at these weddings would be a huge embarrassment for a family, and the couple tying the knot in Cana stumble into this exact predicament. When Mary pressures Jesus into performing his first miracle in the gospel of John, it’s not so much for Jesus to show off as it is to spare this poor couple who have been unable to provide enough wine. We know virtually nothing of this couple’s background, but we know they don’t have the resources to keep the party going, so they need Jesus’s help.

Notice too how Jesus’s actions are known only to a select few: Mary (a woman), the servants (likely people of a lower social class), and of course Jesus and his disciples (a group of rough itinerants). What do all these people have in common? They had lower social standing in this culture. The more highfaluting master of ceremonies presumably never learns the origin of this incredible wine with which he is so enamored, but the author of John sneaks in this beautiful phrase in verse 9: “He [the master of ceremonies] did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew.” The servants knew. I imagine them even snickering about it as the guests marvel.

Sure, Jesus making a miraculous debut at a wedding banquet is a nice bit of foreshadowing for all the wedding language which will surround Jesus and the Church in the centuries ahead, but there’s something more earthy at work here. Jesus’s miracle at the wedding feast tells us what kind of savior he will be:
– Jesus values hospitality and seeks to spare his hosts from embarrassment.
– Jesus is open to persuasion, particularly from his mother when she advocates for the couple.
– Jesus is humble. The majority of the people at the wedding seem not even to realize what he has done.
– And especially, Jesus includes others in his miraculous works, and he has a special attention to those who might be overlooked or ignored due to their social class. These are the ones Jesus invites to help.

Jesus reveals himself as a kind savior— one focused on the lowly and abandoned. That’s what makes this account more than a “miracle”; it’s a sign of who Jesus is and the kind of revolution he will bring.

Again, I hope this Lent will be a time of peace and reflection for you. Next week, we’ll return to Cana for the healing of the official’s son.