Are you there God? It's me, Jane Margaret.
Thoughts and reflections of a pastor......
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Thoughts and reflections of a pastor......
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Let me start with some historical context that you may or may not already know. This wedding feast at Cana would have been a communal event with a large guest list—pretty much everyone in the community. It was a huge feast, lasting several days—even up to a week, and wine was an important hospitality element. To run out of wine before the end of the event was a disaster for the hosts. And, it meant that those who arrived later in the feast—whether they were traveling or working or ill—arriving later would have meant that there would be no wine for them. The hospitality would have run out. And the latecomers and the last would be denied.
This story of the wedding at Cana can have many meanings. But most of my life I have heard this story referred to as “Jesus’s first miracle.” The first of seven signs in the Gospel of John. And it is certainly the first sign in the Gospel of John, but this wasn’t Jesus’ miracle. Or, at least, not simply Jesus’ miracle. Just like the entire Incarnation—Love becoming flesh; God showing up as human in the world—this miraculous story begins with Mary. She is the one who looks up and out and takes note of the impending disaster for those who would have been her neighbors, and most likely, close friends. She knows how this one thing could affect the entire community, and in particular, the hosts themselves, and the last to arrive. Mary not only notices, she goes to the one who can make a difference. She nudges the divine and says: “Houston, we have a problem.” And then Jesus tells her: ”not now.” He doesn’t call her Mother or Amma; Jesus says to her: Gunai, Woman, what is this to you or to me? But Mary, Woman, she knows that this impending social disaster is not only about the family hosting the feast, or the couple getting married. This is a communal event; it will create cracks and crevices within the community. Mary knows it is her business AND the business of the Christ. Surely, this is Mary’s miracle too. And then, ignoring her son’s reluctance, his short-sightedness, if you will (can we say that about Jesus?), Mary turns to the servants and tells them to do whatever Jesus says to do. This action not only empowers the servants, but it sets Jesus into motion as well. Without these servants—-listening to Mary, the Woman—without them, there is no wine. Surely, this is the servant’s miracle too. There are a couple of takeaways here that I never heard growing up even though I have heard this Gospel preached and taught MANY times.
As we hear from the prophet Isaiah today, God says: “I will not stay silent; I will not rest…until vindication shines out like the dawn, and salvation like a burning torch.” Mary enacts that promise in today’s story. As God’s agent, she will not stay silent; she will not rest when she sees impending disaster. She speaks up; she acts; she calls upon the gifts of many to make the miracle happen. Now, there may be some among us, and there are certainly some in wider theological circles, who are going to think, and perhaps say, that I am putting too much emphasis on this “Woman” thing. That maybe there’s a little something there, but I am going overboard, missing the point. Beloved, perhaps what has happened is that the Institution and the univocal translations and interpretations of this Miracle story have missed the point and they are the ones who have emphasized this Truth too little. Like Mary Magdalene and the women at the resurrection, and like every woman who tries to tell her account of the harassment and/or abuse she has received, Woman’s intuition, and the feminine gift of seeing and seeking the Common Good, have been silenced, seen as a nicety but not a necessity, and not believed. Too often she has been told she only has an idle tale; nothing of importance. And yet, for the good of the community, the water was turned into wine. Nevertheless, she persisted. Comments are closed.
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AuthorJane Johnson is the pastor and priest of the Beloved Community of Intercession Episcopal and Redeemer Lutheran. Archives
January 2025
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