wonderings on cana

I just got back from being out of town. Early in my trip we were able to attend my cousin's wedding at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on the campus of Notre Dame. All the wedding activities were a lot of fun. In a couple weeks I am going to be preaching on John 2:1-11, the passage where Jesus turns water into wine. It took place at a wedding where the wine was running out. This would have been a social disaster for the family, but Jesus saves the day by making some awesome wine. I'm just starting my prep work for the sermon, but I could not help but contrast the text w/ my cousin's wedding. I've read this passage in John 2 many times, but I still don't think I get the whole picture. I wish I could have been there to see Jesus interact w/ other guests. What was He like at this event; what was the event itself like?

Sometimes I wonder if we interpret scripture based off of stoic, dry, sanitized painting of the past. Like this one to the right. Now I'm not an art history person, w/ any knowledge about anything, but this sure seems like a lame party to me, one where no wine is flowing. Is it a wedding feast or a funeral? My question is how we view Jesus today. Do we view Him as a somber guest at a lame party? Do we view Him as a someone distant and quiet? Or do we view Him as something different? I'm not done making conclusion on this passage (and probably never will be), but I think a better picture of Jesus is one where He desires for us to thrive, where we are restored, redeemed, and revived. The making of water into wine can be seen as a picture of turning something ordinary into something worth celebrating. This is a picture of our relationship w/ Him. As regenerates us, He turns our lives of survival into lives that thrive in Him and experience the full range of emotions, includes fun and celebration.

There could have been multiple reasons why they ran out of wine that day: maybe they were poor and didn't have the money to buy enough wine, maybe they had the money but didn't plan well, or maybe folks were simply drinking more than what was planned for (meaning people were having a great time). I think the party was hopping that day. I think Jesus was laughing and celebrating w/ everyone else. I think He saved the day. And I think the best is yet to come. That's the Jesus I see in the passage.