St Ursula's Church
Berne, Switzerland
The Wedding at Cana
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| St Ursula's Church The Wedding at Cana | ||||||||
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I suspect that many of us have been to wedding receptions that have been embarrassing. The best man's speech a bit too naughty, the groom who had drunk too much, the bride who fainted, the fight that broke out between the families. We clergy have seen it all and perhaps you have too. It is unusual though for the drink to run out - and in Jewish society it would have been hugely embarrassing.
It's comforting perhaps to think that Jesus got himself embroiled in a wedding reception that was going pear-shaped.
Interestingly, the writer of John's gospel fails to tell us whose wedding it was that Jesus and his disciples attended. What is clear is that Jesus and his followers were far less important guests than Jesus' mother, Mary. And so when the wine runs out it is Mary that grasps the initiative and draws Jesus - a little unwillingly perhaps - into the centre of events. Mary's host risks humiliation and she senses that Jesus can do something about it. The familiar miracle then unfolds, the wedding is a success after all, and Jesus' disciples believed in his extra-ordinary powers.
The miracle at Cana is the first of the seven signs of Jesus recorded in John's gospel through which Christ's glory is made manifest. The Epiphany season is all about seeing Christ's glory being shown forth. Seven is a very significant number in scripture and is always associated with perfection - God rested on the 7th day; Jacob bowed down seven times before his brother as a sign of perfect submission; God ordered the lampstand for the tabernacle to have seven branches and there are seven trumpeting angels in the book of Revelation.
And so it is through the seven signs in John's gospel that we come to have a understanding of the significance and truth of Jesus, both perfectly human and divine.
The story of the wedding at Cana overflows with insights into the nature of the transformed life that is available to us through faith in Jesus Christ.
There is elaborate symbolism in Jesus' actions, which is why these events are described as signs. Jesus has taken water jars used for ritual purification, an essential part of Jewish life, and transformed their contents. He has done something that supersedes existing custom: the implication is that the traditional way of being cleansed no longer matters.
This sign also points us to a revelation of the character and nature of God.
The first pointer to the nature of God is the sheer abundance of joy that is on offer. Jesus didn't provide sufficient wine of adequate quality but a quite staggering volume of the very best wine available. 180 gallons of it, or if you prefer 818 litres. Quite a party then.
There was no way the wedding guests could consume all that Jesus provided; it was a gracious outpouring of excess.
So it teaches us that our God is a generous God, generous beyond our imagining and so must we be. Generous to those around us, generous in our judgements of others.
There is nothing gloomy about being a Christian. Jesus wants us to enjoy our faith.
I like the cartoon on the front of one of the newspapers some time ago. There's a man saying to his wife: "I can't come to Church. The communion wine will push me over my weekly limit."
Secondly, the miracle at Cana shows us that Jesus is interested in the ordinary dramas of which our lives are made. Compared with living under Roman occupation, this family crisis was trivial in the extreme. It was socially embarrassing but was hardly earth shattering. Yet Jesus took it seriously. Families in crisis are a concern to Him and it is a concern to the family of God we call the church.
Our life as a Christian community can often feel dominated by the pressures of keeping the show on the road, and this is the same for all churches - building repairs, church cleaning, fundraising, hall bookings, garden maintenance, paying our parish share to the diocese. The list of things we have to do is quite long. But we can lose sight of our calling as the church to be about people, to be about people and their concerns.
The great Archbishop of Canterbury William Temple once said: "The Church is the only institution that exists primarily for the benefit of those who are not its members."
Being the church means serving the community around us; sharing our faith through words and deeds with those who live around us and supporting those in need.
It is great to see that St Ursula supports many charities which will be the focus of our service on mission Sunday 3 March.
Jesus was committed to resolving the family crisis at the wedding at Cana and as a church we in turn are called to be with people in their need.
Another way of looking at this is to say that what we do here at church on Sunday is only worthwhile if it helps each one of us to be better equipped to serve God in all those relationship encounters we have from Monday to Saturday.
St Paul in the epistle reading reminded us that we all have differing gifts, that have been given to us by God. Differing gifts but when we all contribute something we can achieve great things. As Paul says "To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good."
Sometimes though we put up barriers and boundaries to prevent this happening. We are often reluctant to use our gifts for the common good, or we use our gift to promote our image rather than the good of The body of Christ the church.
It is said that during the Second World War some soldiers serving in France wanted to bury a friend and fellow soldier who had been killed. Being in a foreign country they wanted to ensure their fallen comrade had a proper burial. They found a well-kept cemetery with a low wall around it, a picturesque little Catholic church and a peaceful outlook. This was just the place to bury their friend. But when they approached the priest he answered that unless their friend was a baptised Catholic he could not be buried in the cemetery. He wasn't.
Sensing the soldiers disappointment the priest showed them a spot outside the walls where they could bury their friend. Reluctantly they did so.
The next day the soldiers returned to pay their final respects to their fallen friend but could not find the grave. "Surely we can't be mistaken. It was right here!" they said. Confused, they approached the priest who took them to a spot inside the cemetery walls. "Last night I couldn't sleep" said the priest. "I was troubled that your friend had to be buried outside the cemetery walls, so I got up and moved the wall."
Sometimes we have to move the boundaries in our personal lives and indeed we have to move the boundaries as a Church. No one pretends it is easy to do that, but we live in a fast changing world and sometimes we need to change with it. Boundaries are there to be moved, they are not there to restrain us.
The first reading from Isaiah tells us "you shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord and a royal diadem in the hand of your God."
That is a most amazing promise that God makes to us his people. Something to rejoice and give thanks for.
So the miracle of changing water into wine gives much to think about as we consider our life as the church in this place.
It was sign to show forth the glory of God. We in our turn are called to show forth Christ day by day.
And that is an exciting and awesome task.
Revd Ian Eglin