Second Sunday after the Epiphany: January 14, 2007.

Isaiah 62:1-5

Psalm 36:5-10

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

John 2:1-11

First Reading

The three texts for this week have in common the notion that things are not as they appear. Isaiah 62:1-5 deals with a vision of what Jerusalem will be like--a bride fit for God, the bridegroom. This vision of splendor is in sharp contrast to the ruins that the exiles discovered on their return from Babylon. Isaiah offers them the vision to reassure them that God intends more for the city than what the people see. The dominant images of the passage, that of a "new name" that Jerusalem will be given (and her people with her) and the image of the wedding, both announce a change in position for Jerusalem.

We have seen name changes in the Old Testament before. Abram (Venerable ancestor) becomes Abraham (Ancestor of a great horde); Jacob (the Supplanter) becomes Israel (the one who strives with God) after wrestling with God at Peniel. Here the names for Jerusalem are changed from "Forsaken" and "Desolate" to "My delight is in her" and "Married." These names are symbolic of Jerusalem's changed status from exiled and abandoned by God to dwelling in God's presence and favor again.

The name "Married" spurs Third Isaiah to offer the analogy of marriage. This union or alliance in the ancient world was so much more than just a partnership between a man and a woman. It was an alliance that was important for the economic well-being of both families (ideally), and the entire community had a stake in its success. So this image carries with it not hope for Jerusalem alone, as the bride, but also the whole of humanity who will benefit from this marriage.

The twelfth chapter of Paul's first letter to the Corinthians begins with a discussion of spiritual gifts. What lies behind Paul's need to address this issue? Perhaps the Corinthians reported folks in the community who claimed more authority because of certain "gifts" that they possessed, which others did not. Perhaps the proximity of the congregation to the renowned Oracle at Delphi influenced how they looked at various spiritual gifts. Whatever the reason, Paul spends much of the next several chapters dealing with the "giftedness" of the community.

Paul both acknowledges the gifts that are the source of the possible dispute and places them in a context. Wisdom, knowledge, healing, miracles, discernment, speaking in tongues, and the interpretation of tongues are all acknowledged as spiritual gifts, but they are placed within the context of how they serve the overall well-being of the whole body of Christ. By the time we get to chapter 13 we discover that without agape, none of these gifts will benefit the community or even the one who possesses them. While the individual gifts seem to bring higher status and authority to those who possess them, Paul makes it clear that the gifts come from God, and the holders of one gift are not better (or worse) than those who have another. In effect Paul is saying, "Your gifts do not signify what you think they do."

The familiar story of the wedding at Cana is our Gospel text for this day. Here, too, things are not as they seem. Jesus is not just a guest but becomes the host. The water is not just for purification but becomes wine for the celebration. The action of Jesus is not simply a miracle but a sign that points beyond itself to God's presence in the world, enriching life. While some scholars dispute the eucharistic significance of the wine in this story, I think it likely that John, who does not mention the meal but has foot washing and the commandment to love at the center of the story of the upper room, has chosen to weave themes of Passover, Exodus, and Eucharist into the whole fabric of his Gospel. In chapter 6 we have the feeding of the thousands and the discourse on the "bread of life," and here, in chapter 2, we have water becoming wine.

All of this suggests that, when God is present, ordinary meals become extraordinary, and high feast occasions become more exalted still. Jesus not only attends the party but uses it as an occasion to point to the provident God of Israel and the messianic hopes of the nation. We might think of Isaiah 25 when we read this passage, where God will gather the people for a messianic feast, with the best of food and wine. Thus the wine becomes something that points to God coming in Christ Jesus to begin the new age. Certainly the disciples see this and "believe." And Jesus, though his time is not yet (and won't be until the cross), still cannot but enrich the feast and its guests, as the messianic age is ushered in. Perhaps we are meant to think back to our lesson from Isaiah 62 for this day as well. The wedding feast of God and Israel has begun.

Pastoral Reflection

There are certainly many inviting images for preaching here. One of my favorites is to contrast the story of water turning into wine with the African folk tale of Ezra and the village feast.

Once there was a king who invited all of his subjects to a feast. To make the occasion more festive, each guest was asked to bring a small jug of wine that would be poured into a great pot for all to share.

Ezra, who was neither rich nor poor, was one of the invited guests. He owned no grapes to make his own wine, and though wine was not expensive and he could afford it, he began to think of a way that he could avoid the expense altogether. "What if I brought a jug of water, not wine, to the feast? No one would know that there was a little water in the great pot of wine," he thought to himself. So that is what Ezra did.

The day of the feast was a great celebration. Over a thousand guests were there, each pouring his wine into the great pot. All, that is, but Ezra. He kept his head down until it was his turn, then, looking both ways to make sure that no one was watching, he quickly poured his water into the pot. He walked to his place at the feast and sat down with the rest. All of the guests' clay cups were filled with wine from the pot. The king spoke the traditional word of welcome, and everyone raised their individual cups for a drink. As they did, a cry of disbelief rose from the crowd. They were drinking not wine but water. Each guest had decided that his one jug of water would not spoil the pot. (9)

This story contrasts our need to hoard and protect the gifts we have with God's way of abundant and extravagant sharing with all creation the gifts that God has provided. The Gospel text is not only a story about Jesus as Messiah; it is also about what kind of Messiah. God's gracious participation in our world as a serving presence sets the table for our understanding the cross and resurrection as revealing the very heart and mind of God. God will not be the kind of groom that imprisons the bride. God will enliven and enrich the world as God intimately connects with humanity. Wine flows out of the jars in spite of the water within. Life flows out from the empty tomb despite the power of death. Where we create scarcity, where we manufacture a dull existence for ourselves, God gives life and "pizzazz" in abundance. (10) LLB 

9. Several versions of this story are available. One of them appears in the above-mentioned story collections of William White.

10. From conversations with Rev. Karen Ward of Seattle, Washington.