You have kept the good wine until now!

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine." Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come." His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it." Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. Jesus said to them, "Fill the waterpots with water." And they filled them up to the brim. And He said to them, "Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast." And they took it. When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. And he said to him, "Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!" This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him. After this He went down to Capernaum, He, His mother, His brothers, and His disciples; and they did not stay there many days.

- John 2:1-12

In Saturday's reading (and Friday's as well), we read of Jesus choosing His disciples. In actuality, they come to Him first, having been led by John the Baptist to the "Lamb of God." On Saturday we read that Jesus found Philip, who is most likely first a disciple of John the Baptist. Philip found Nathanael (just as Andrew, the previous day, had found his brother Simon, who would be called Peter). Nathanael asked, "Can any good thing come from Nazareth?" when he was told about Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus told him, "Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree." Nathanael believed, and Jesus told him that he would see far greater things: "Heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man." But first, before this conversation, Jesus said about Nathanael as he approached, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!"

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. This is the "third day" of Jesus' ministry, but it is the "fifth day" of the Gospel of John. On the first, John the Baptist gave his testimony to those who came from Jerusalem to question him. On the second, John testified of Jesus, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" On the third, John stood with two of his disciples (Andrew and, most likely, the author of this Gospel). Andrew becomes a follower of Jesus and brings his brother, Simon, whom Jesus says will be called Cephas (or Petros in Greek, meaning stone or rock; in English, "Peter"). On the fourth, Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee as are Andrew and Peter. Philip brought Nathanael. And today's reading teaches us about what happened the next day. John's Gospel begins with deliberate echoes of Genesis, with "In the beginning." It is a creation story to complete the first. The successive days give us the unfolding of Jesus' ministry - the public ministry of Jesus' Incarnation. We understand that He has already lived His life as a human being, fulfilling the mission of sharing life with us as a human being. On the third day of His public ministry, after two days spent choosing disciples, the creation story further unfolds with the first miracle or sign (the first of seven in the Gospel). It is a great blending of relationship of His earthly life: His mother is there, it is a family affair. As we have observed so far in John's Gospel, everything unfolds working through others, through human beings, and today's first miracle is no exception.

Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. Tradition holds that the wedding was of Simon the Zealot, who will be an apostle. Mary, Jesus' mother, is perhaps a relative of the bride or groom. My study bible points out that the setting is significant. "In the Old Testament, marriage feasts symbolize the union of God with His bride, Israel. Jesus begins His ministry at a wedding in Galilee, which was largely Gentile territory: thus this sign becomes a symbol of the joy of the Kingdom being spread beyond Judea to all the world . . . By His presence at this wedding, Jesus declares marriage to be holy and honorable." And by comparing the "days" that pass in this mirror of the first creation story in the Old Testament, we have a redeeming image of the brokenness of the first one -- Christ is here to mend our wounds and restore our bonds or relatedness and relationship, including with one another, blessing and sanctifying.

And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine." Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come." My study bible points out that "Woman" is not a derogatory title, but a common one of "respect and dignity" which Jesus will use in various encounters with women in the Gospel (including when addressing His mother from the Cross). A more accurate translation might read, "What does this have to do with Me and you, woman?" And again, this scene is illustrative of how this ministry unfolds through other human beings. God uses relationship and relatedness to unfold the great plan of salvation. My study bible points out that this is an example of Mary's gift of intercession. There is a powerful reason why we pray for one another; and why, in the "great cloud of witnesses" who live in God, we still call upon prayer, all for all. Jesus' hour is the hour of His glorification, His full public self-disclosure.

His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it." Again, the story enforces the idea of relationship - we may all act as agents of grace. Just as John the Baptist brought his disciples to Jesus, so Mary instructs the servants to "follow Him," in some sense. It is she who insists, a picture of prayer and readiness for God's action. This story of John's Gospel is propelled forward by those who form some sort of connection to or are related with Jesus, each interacting with one another.

Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. Waterpots were made of stone so that they would not contract ritual impurity, in accordance with rabbinical teaching. Six, my study bible says, may be a symbol of imperfection or incompleteness (one less than seven), the Levitical law incomplete without the Incarnation and dispensation of the Christ. Water must be readily abundant at a wedding; in Jewish tradition the wine would be diluted with three parts water - to discourage drunkenness.

Jesus said to them, "Fill the waterpots with water." And they filled them up to the brim. And He said to them, "Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast." And they took it. When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. And he said to him, "Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!" The abundant and flowing wine from water symbolizes the great harvest or vintage of this new dispensation -- it fulfills all the promise and potential of the old. The story is self-explanatory: by tradition, the good wine is served first. Once the guests are well-satisfied, the lesser quality is brought out. Church Fathers saw an anticipation of the Eucharist in this transformation of water to wine -- and the abundance is the abundance of promise for all of us in Jesus' mission; perhaps, my study bible says, the abundance of grace and truth in Christ. I see it as symbolic of His action in us and with us, the abundance of His promises, of the abundant life with its richness and joy and goodness He brings to ours. This is what He wants for us.

This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him. After this He went down to Capernaum, He, His mother, His brothers, and His disciples; and they did not stay there many days. Regarding signs, my study bible says: "The seven signs of this Gospel point to something beyond themselves: the mystery of the Incarnate God at work in his mighty and saving acts; the Kingdom of God being inaugurated by Jesus. The disciples see His glory -- His divine power which reveals that He comes from the Father -- and are strengthened in their faith in Him."

Signs give us important guideposts to the reality behind the image of what we behold. As my study bible says, they point to something greater than themselves, something we may have spiritual eyes and ears to read or perceive, or we may need to sharpen that sight and hearing. Signs are the abundance of God's grace to us, acting as agents to draw us out, through which we may be drawn into greater abundance, real mystery, and a heightened sense of life and meaning and our own being and belonging in this universe of creation by a God who loves us, and wants for us abundance which He will share. How do you experience signs in your life? In today's reading, the abundance of the wine, the good wine, is in itself a sign for all of us, of the blessings of union with God, an Incarnation that is in itself, good. How do you experience your life with God, and the abundance of riches brought to us in this life that is life itself? Can you read the signs of your own life, and its calling from somewhere much greater than what we can immediately perceive? This Lent, let us strip away all the things that get in the way of that sight, and refine it so that we may see, receive and perceive better than we do already.