Nerys writes: One of the many joys of my ministry here at St Mary’s is that the chapel of Cromlix House is part of my charge and this means that I get to conduct more weddings than most Scottish Episcopal priests. I find it a great privilege to accompany young couples at such a crucial time in their lives and also to work closely with the staff of the hotel. I have got to know Sharon, the events’ manager, very well during the last three years and I’m always impressed by her great attention to detail. There are so many things that can go wrong at a wedding which could ruin, not only the day itself but the memory of it for years to come.
In today’s Gospel passage, John 2.1-11, however, running out of wine would have been much more than a social embarrassment for the hosts. In Jesus’ day, weddings weren’t just private family affairs. They would often involve the whole community and would last up to seven days, with guests coming and going to the house of the groom. It was his family and friends who were responsible for providing refreshments. Failure to do so would have been viewed as a scandalous disgrace which would have cast a shadow over the young couple’s marriage and dishonoured the whole family.
We don’t know why Jesus’ mother felt that she needed to do something about the situation or what she was thinking when she turned to her son for help. This is the first of only two occasions when we meet her in John’s Gospel. As we’ve seen during the last few weeks, in Luke’s Gospel, Mary is prominent in the stories of Jesus’ birth and childhood and we even get to know her thoughts and feelings. Here she a distant figure who isn’t even given her name. We can only guess what she was expecting to happen when she told her son that the wine had run out, but as the story unfolds, I find the dynamic between her and Jesus as fascinating and illuminating as the miracle itself.
I invite you to read the story again, focusing on Mary’s words and actions.
It would not be appropriate for a mother to make a demand of her adult son, so Mary’s first words are a simple statement, though clearly with the expectation of some response. I wonder if her expectation of Jesus was based on what she had seen, pondered and treasured in her heart years previously? She clearly regarded him as one who could and would meet the needs of others.
It’s difficult to interpret Jesus’ initial response. Addressing one’s mother as ‘woman’ is not usual. It may not have been as harsh as it sounds to us but it does suggest that there was a distance between the two of them. Were her expectations of her son causing tension between them?
Jesus makes it clear that her worries about the wine was somebody else’s problem but Mary persists. She doesn’t tell her son what to do but turns to the servants, instructing them to follow his directions. She leaves the initiative to Jesus, showing her absolute trust in him.
Could this be why Jesus gives in to her request despite his initial objection? So often in the Gospels, it is on realising the depth of a person’s faith that he performs miracles.
John doesn’t mention Mary’s response to this revelation of divine glory, only that of the disciples who witness the miracle and come to believe in Jesus through it, We don’t meet her again until the day of his crucifixion, standing at the foot of the cross. The witness of her faithful discipleship is like a thin but long thread running through the Gospel.
You may wish to spend some time reading this modern Coptic icon of the Wedding at Cana by Rania Kuhn.
Take a moment now to think of times in your life when you’ve witnessed God’s provision and give thanks.
Bring to mind situations in the world, in the church, in the life of family or friends or in your own life where resources are running out and bring them to the attention of God.
How can you co-operate with God to meet these needs?
Do you need to confess your lack of trust in God’s transforming power? Is anxiety or fear clouding your compassion?
Are you willing to persist in prayer and do whatever God says so that God’s gracious abundance may be witnessed in the world?
Ask God to fill you to the brim with the Holy Spirit and use your life for the good of the world.
