The New Wine of the Kingdom
Everyone it seems enjoys a good wedding. Putting all cynical jokes aside ......they are heartening, life-enhancing occasions. A celebration of love expressed through two people committing themselves to a lifetime together. At least that is always the hope. The wedding ceremony is of course a public proclamation of marriage and a witness to this bond. Weddings are a feature of every world culture with their own distinctive rituals and folk traditions, emphasising the seriousness with which this institution is taken in human civilisation.
It is a wedding celebration that we consider this evening - the Wedding at Cana. This story has particular importance in the Christian tradition. It has the distinction of being Christ's first recorded miracle and was popularly celebrated at this time of year by the ancient church. This story is also the beginning of his public ministry. But it is a story that leaves a lot of people – myself included – feeling slightly uncomfortable. I have seen it described as an 'unnecessary miracle'. There is after all, no urgent healing involved. Upon a first reading, turning water into wine has all the feeling and character of a conjuring trick. Why would Jesus perform such an apparently crude piece of showmanship? It is clear from his brusque response to his mother that he did this reluctantly and his mysterious remark that "his time had not yet come" is significant. It seems that he would normally have distanced himself from this kind of theatricality.
Some Biblical scholars have suggested that this account is actually a parable or spiritual allegory that somehow came to be reported as a miracle story. In John's Gospel there are no parables, which then casts immediate doubt on that suggestion. However, he records seven miracles but interestingly, refers to them as 'signs' of Jesus glory. This puts a different slant on the miracle stories, suggesting that they can be both understood as miracle and parable.
There is much in John's Gospel that cannot be taken at face value. The text sometimes requires deeper probing in order to draw out its layers of meaning which are certainly spiritual and sometimes psychological.
And so it is with the story of the Wedding at Cana. The signs are acts that are significant and have a deeper meaning. No family or community celebration is complete without food and drink and much thought and anxiety goes into the catering preparations. Typically, in most Eastern cultures, food and drink is offered to excess – not least to demonstrate the hosts generosity and the depth of their welcome. In Jesus' day, these would have been lively, joyous occasions (as all weddings should be) and Jesus would have been eating, drinking, singing and dancing along with the rest of them. Wedding parties were lavish extended affairs and could last for several days. Guests would go to work during the day and return to party at night, so vast quantities of food and drink would have been consumed. So a primary concern then (as in the present), was having enough to go round.
So what does this story have to say to us? It is very significant that John begins his gospel with a story about a wedding banquet, and this sign is traditionally taken to refer to the dawn of the messianic age that has come in Jesus Christ. Some have seen a symbolic connection with this story and Moses' first public miracle of changing the water of the River Nile into blood. It could be seen as Jesus showing his approval for marriage and worldly celebrations. It has even been cited as an argument against Christian teetotalism.
But there is more, and as always, the layers of meaning and metaphor become more apparent when a story is properly understood in its historical context.
Firstly there is the wedding itself. The Scriptures contain numerous examples of the metaphor of marriage. Jesus uses the analogy elsewhere, in the parable about the ten virgins or bridesmaids that is essentially about the coming of the heavenly bridegroom. There is also the story of the wedding guests who were invited but made excuses for not attending (what we interpret) as the wedding banquet that God provides. Christianity is about relationship and marriage is the most intimate expression of relationship so a powerful metaphor to describe our relationship with God.
Secondly there is the wine, which is so central to most social gatherings and celebrations.
Wine is the liquid of life. It symbolises vitality, joy and revelation. As we say: In vino veritas: in wine there is truth. It is very worldly drink and yet paradoxically has always been thought of as a symbolically 'spiritual drink'. Where there is wine there is usually fellowship. Wine has many positive and negative metaphorical uses throughout the Bible. In a positive vein, free wine is used as a symbol of divine grace, and wine is repeatedly compared to intimate love in the Song of Solomon. Later in John's gospel, Jesus likens himself to a vine (John 15:5) and he uses wine at the Last Supper to signify the New Covenant in his blood. In Marks gospel (Mark 2: 19-22) Jesus speaks of the new wine of the Kingdom of God bursting the old wine-skins of Judaism. Wine represents a life force which is of course, most powerfully expressed when it is likened to Jesus' blood in the Eucharist. It is one of the richest of symbols.
Wine was essential to celebrations and at Cana it was consumed in such abundance that the host eventually ran out. In ancient Jewish culture to have run out of wine would have incurred major social embarrassment for the host and would probably not have been readily forgotten by the community. Wine in ancient times was undoubtedly pretty rough stuff even when aged. It was probably diluted with water to make it more acceptable. In the Cana story we hear that the wine was stored in stone jars, which is clearly significant, because only wealthy families could afford these. Normally, wine would have been stored in skins. Stone had the great advantage that it was fairly inert and reduced the transmission of impurities, suggesting that if really good wine is valued then it should be respected and looked after.
So Jesus acts to save a happy situation that is about to go horribly wrong. But it is not inferior wine that Jesus offers but the best wine. The best is kept till last, something that will delight and surprise. The metaphor is clear. Jesus and all that he stands for is the new wine – something rich and joyful that is all about a quality of relationship. But it seems to go even further than this. The 'sign' at Cana tells us that in every situation, because we are the body of Christ we have the ability to change ordinary water into something intoxicating like wine.
We can all make a difference. We can all turn bad or difficult things and situations around and make them into something better, something to be valued. We can keep the party going and be the life and soul and have life in abundance. It is easy to overlook the fact that in this story, Jesus was not partying with religious leaders or people who held high office. He was in a backwater village with ordinary people, and yes, they may have had money in their favour – but people like us - and this implies that anyone, whatever kind of life they lead can be awake to the essence of the wine - anyone can pursue the pleasures that foster human warmth and humanity.
It is sometimes said of art that if you keep a painting hidden way it is not really a painting.
You can be told how wonderful it is, how colourful it is, how talented the artist is. But it only becomes a painting when the world engages with it; only when it is seen and experienced.
Perhaps the same could be said of wine. We can be told how delightful it is, what a wonderful colour and bouquet it has. But a wine – even the best wine - is not really a wine until you open the bottle and start to drink it.
Everyone it seems enjoys a good wedding. Putting all cynical jokes aside ......they are heartening, life-enhancing occasions. A celebration of love expressed through two people committing themselves to a lifetime together. At least that is always the hope. The wedding ceremony is of course a public proclamation of marriage and a witness to this bond. Weddings are a feature of every world culture with their own distinctive rituals and folk traditions, emphasising the seriousness with which this institution is taken in human civilisation.
It is a wedding celebration that we consider this evening - the Wedding at Cana. This story has particular importance in the Christian tradition. It has the distinction of being Christ's first recorded miracle and was popularly celebrated at this time of year by the ancient church. This story is also the beginning of his public ministry. But it is a story that leaves a lot of people – myself included – feeling slightly uncomfortable. I have seen it described as an 'unnecessary miracle'. There is after all, no urgent healing involved. Upon a first reading, turning water into wine has all the feeling and character of a conjuring trick. Why would Jesus perform such an apparently crude piece of showmanship? It is clear from his brusque response to his mother that he did this reluctantly and his mysterious remark that "his time had not yet come" is significant. It seems that he would normally have distanced himself from this kind of theatricality.
Some Biblical scholars have suggested that this account is actually a parable or spiritual allegory that somehow came to be reported as a miracle story. In John's Gospel there are no parables, which then casts immediate doubt on that suggestion. However, he records seven miracles but interestingly, refers to them as 'signs' of Jesus glory. This puts a different slant on the miracle stories, suggesting that they can be both understood as miracle and parable.
There is much in John's Gospel that cannot be taken at face value. The text sometimes requires deeper probing in order to draw out its layers of meaning which are certainly spiritual and sometimes psychological.
And so it is with the story of the Wedding at Cana. The signs are acts that are significant and have a deeper meaning. No family or community celebration is complete without food and drink and much thought and anxiety goes into the catering preparations. Typically, in most Eastern cultures, food and drink is offered to excess – not least to demonstrate the hosts generosity and the depth of their welcome. In Jesus' day, these would have been lively, joyous occasions (as all weddings should be) and Jesus would have been eating, drinking, singing and dancing along with the rest of them. Wedding parties were lavish extended affairs and could last for several days. Guests would go to work during the day and return to party at night, so vast quantities of food and drink would have been consumed. So a primary concern then (as in the present), was having enough to go round.
So what does this story have to say to us? It is very significant that John begins his gospel with a story about a wedding banquet, and this sign is traditionally taken to refer to the dawn of the messianic age that has come in Jesus Christ. Some have seen a symbolic connection with this story and Moses' first public miracle of changing the water of the River Nile into blood. It could be seen as Jesus showing his approval for marriage and worldly celebrations. It has even been cited as an argument against Christian teetotalism.
But there is more, and as always, the layers of meaning and metaphor become more apparent when a story is properly understood in its historical context.
Firstly there is the wedding itself. The Scriptures contain numerous examples of the metaphor of marriage. Jesus uses the analogy elsewhere, in the parable about the ten virgins or bridesmaids that is essentially about the coming of the heavenly bridegroom. There is also the story of the wedding guests who were invited but made excuses for not attending (what we interpret) as the wedding banquet that God provides. Christianity is about relationship and marriage is the most intimate expression of relationship so a powerful metaphor to describe our relationship with God.
Secondly there is the wine, which is so central to most social gatherings and celebrations.
Wine is the liquid of life. It symbolises vitality, joy and revelation. As we say: In vino veritas: in wine there is truth. It is very worldly drink and yet paradoxically has always been thought of as a symbolically 'spiritual drink'. Where there is wine there is usually fellowship. Wine has many positive and negative metaphorical uses throughout the Bible. In a positive vein, free wine is used as a symbol of divine grace, and wine is repeatedly compared to intimate love in the Song of Solomon. Later in John's gospel, Jesus likens himself to a vine (John 15:5) and he uses wine at the Last Supper to signify the New Covenant in his blood. In Marks gospel (Mark 2: 19-22) Jesus speaks of the new wine of the Kingdom of God bursting the old wine-skins of Judaism. Wine represents a life force which is of course, most powerfully expressed when it is likened to Jesus' blood in the Eucharist. It is one of the richest of symbols.
Wine was essential to celebrations and at Cana it was consumed in such abundance that the host eventually ran out. In ancient Jewish culture to have run out of wine would have incurred major social embarrassment for the host and would probably not have been readily forgotten by the community. Wine in ancient times was undoubtedly pretty rough stuff even when aged. It was probably diluted with water to make it more acceptable. In the Cana story we hear that the wine was stored in stone jars, which is clearly significant, because only wealthy families could afford these. Normally, wine would have been stored in skins. Stone had the great advantage that it was fairly inert and reduced the transmission of impurities, suggesting that if really good wine is valued then it should be respected and looked after.
So Jesus acts to save a happy situation that is about to go horribly wrong. But it is not inferior wine that Jesus offers but the best wine. The best is kept till last, something that will delight and surprise. The metaphor is clear. Jesus and all that he stands for is the new wine – something rich and joyful that is all about a quality of relationship. But it seems to go even further than this. The 'sign' at Cana tells us that in every situation, because we are the body of Christ we have the ability to change ordinary water into something intoxicating like wine.
We can all make a difference. We can all turn bad or difficult things and situations around and make them into something better, something to be valued. We can keep the party going and be the life and soul and have life in abundance. It is easy to overlook the fact that in this story, Jesus was not partying with religious leaders or people who held high office. He was in a backwater village with ordinary people, and yes, they may have had money in their favour – but people like us - and this implies that anyone, whatever kind of life they lead can be awake to the essence of the wine - anyone can pursue the pleasures that foster human warmth and humanity.
It is sometimes said of art that if you keep a painting hidden way it is not really a painting.
You can be told how wonderful it is, how colourful it is, how talented the artist is. But it only becomes a painting when the world engages with it; only when it is seen and experienced.
Perhaps the same could be said of wine. We can be told how delightful it is, what a wonderful colour and bouquet it has. But a wine – even the best wine - is not really a wine until you open the bottle and start to drink it.