THE LIFE OF THE PARTY

John 2:1-11
Second Sunday after Epiphany, Year C
Analysis by Ella Moehlman

1On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.  2Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding.  3When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.”  4And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.”  5His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”  6Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons.  7Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim.  8He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.” So they took it.  9When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom 10and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.”  11Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

The Wedding at Cana – Paolo Veronese (1528–1588)
From Wikimedia Commons

“Filled with the abundant good wine of Christ, we pour ourselves out for others when we see them coming up empty in the midst of life’s scarcities.”

DIAGNOSIS: Scarcity. The wine has run out; all good things come to an end

Step 1. Initial Diagnosis (External problem): Party Foul
We’ve run out of wine at the wedding party – the horror and embarrassment! What was supposed to be a good time is now about to end really quick.

We all face sobering realities in life. Let downs, like when you get the stomach flu on vacation, or one of the kids won’t come home for the family holiday. What was supposed to be a good thing comes up empty.

Step 2. Advanced Diagnosis (Internal Problem): Party Trick
Lucky for us (or so we may think), when we run into a problem, Party Trick Jesus can fix it for us. We dictate, like Jesus’ mom, what he should do for us and when. We put our trust in our ability to tell Jesus what to do. My son says at the dinner table, “my cup is empty,” with a sure and certain hope that his declaration will get him a refill of chocolate milk. In the same way Jesus’ mother says to him, “they have no wine.” We’ve got Jesus on our side. He’ll do what we ask, won’t he?  But is that really faith?

Step 3. (Ultimate problem): The Party’s Over
Maybe sometimes it seems like Jesus complies to our wishes and answers our prayers, but there always comes a day when there is no Party-Trick-Jesus to fix things for us.

The next time Jesus addresses his mother, it’s in the same way he did at the wedding party – “woman.”  From the cross, he’s telling her that his beloved friend will take care of her. He’s giving out his dying wishes.  But he’s leaving us for good, here dying on the cross. Is there nothing more for us?  Is the party over?

From Canva

PROGNOSIS: Abundance. There’s more; and its better than ever.

Step 4: Initial Prognosis (Ultimate Solution): The Life of the Party
But the real life of the party happens on another “third day”, when Jesus – who was lifted up on the cross – now rises again. He has not left us. We see that the water for our purification is changed into the wine poured out for us for the forgiveness of our sins, the very blood of Christ shed on the cross.

Step 5. Advanced Prognosis (Internal Solution): Party On
What joy fills our hearts with this new wine! There’s more of it and its better than we’ve ever tasted. We’re delighted. We’ve been given a foretaste of the feast to come. Christ’s glory is revealed and we have faith in him. We’re all pleasantly drunk at the heavenly banquet that has no end.

Step 6. Final Prognosis (External Solution): Roll Out the Barrel…
We aren’t afraid of running out anymore, and we’re not relying on ourselves anymore to dictate to Jesus what we need and when. Instead, like the steward, we are drawing others aside to share the good news. We exclaim that the best has been saved until now, and here it is! Filled with the abundant good wine of Christ, we pour ourselves out for others when we see them coming up empty in the midst of life’s scarcities.