Come September 19th, we will celebrate 14 years of marriage. On our wedding day, there were a couple of people who commented that we did not read 1 Corinthians 13 which is often read at weddings. We chose to read from John 2, the Wedding Feast at Cana.
One of the prettiest locations I visited in Israel was an area marked as the site of this Wedding. While there, our group was offered a time of vow renewal. I witnessed many couples recommit to their marriage. I was just about to turn 18 at the time but the significance of that site was not lost on me. And so, on my wedding day, I wanted to read from John 2.
The Wedding at Cana
“2 The next day[a] there was a wedding celebration in the village of Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the celebration. 3 The wine supply ran out during the festivities, so Jesus’ mother told him, “They have no more wine.”
4 “Dear woman, that’s not our problem,” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.”
5 But his mother told the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
6 Standing nearby were six stone water jars, used for Jewish ceremonial washing. Each could hold twenty to thirty gallons.[b] 7 Jesus told the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” When the jars had been filled, 8 he said, “Now dip some out, and take it to the master of ceremonies.” So the servants followed his instructions.
9 When the master of ceremonies tasted the water that was now wine, not knowing where it had come from (though, of course, the servants knew), he called the bridegroom over. 10 “A host always serves the best wine first,” he said. “Then, when everyone has had a lot to drink, he brings out the less expensive wine. But you have kept the best until now!”
11 This miraculous sign at Cana in Galilee was the first time Jesus revealed his glory. And his disciples believed in him. 12 After the wedding he went to Capernaum for a few days with his mother, his brothers, and his disciples.”
We find Jesus, his mother Mary, and the Disciples joining the wedding party to celebrate the bride and groom. Based on Mary’s concern for the shortage of wine it is believed that this was a wedding of a relative of Jesus. The familial connection would explain why Mary requested Jesus to do something. Honor was at stake. If the groom ran out of wine for this multi-day celebration it would not only reflect on him but his family.
It is unclear what Mary was expecting of Jesus. I am curious if she would have known of His ability to perform miracles at this point. This being His first leads me to side with John Wesley when he says perhaps she simply was asking him to “Go away, that others may go also before the want appears.”
There are many opinions on why Jesus used this wedding to perform his first miracle. I see the significance in His attendance at the wedding. It shows that “Christ does not take away human society but sanctifies it.” (John Wesley) For Stephen and I, that same significance is important. His presence in our lives brought us together and has remained at the center of our union.
A key takeaway from this scripture is that this was a simple miracle that was not done for all to see. Verse 9 informs us that the master of ceremonies was unaware of what Jesus did. This is a reminder that Jesus is working on us even when we do not know it. There is a simplicity in knowing Jesus is working in our mundane everyday lives. Even while we were celebrating Jesus was there working in the background. Even in our lowest moments, Jesus is there working.
In this, we also see that it was Jesus who ultimately determined to turn the water into wine. Not the master of ceremonies, the Disciples, not even Mary. It was Jesus. As it is true that he is working behind the scenes in our lives he is also the one who answers our prayers. And just like in the passage of scripture, it is in his time.
As I reflect on our 14 years of marriage, I can see how the Lord has been at work in our everyday. He was there in the early days as we were navigating becoming one. When we ventured to Florida he was working. He was there working in the Chilies in the Villages when we both realized He was calling us back to Rockford. He continues to work through job loss and church hurt. Through our highest highs and lowest lows, He continues to be there working.
I am thankful for Stephen and the journey that we are traveling together. And this is my prayer for our future, that regardless of what we encounter on our journey we keep Him at our center because He has “saved the best until now!”