THURSDAY, December 29

John 2:1-11. Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

The miracle of Jesus turning water to wine is dazzling in itself, and all the more so when considered in context. It takes place at the beginning of Christ’s ministry on earth, so it is fitting that he is attending a marriage, another sort of beginning. Jesus has recently been recognized by John the Baptist and has called the first of the apostles.

One perplexing thing about this account is that Jesus appears to snap at his mother, Mary. When she tells him the wine has run out, he replies, “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me?” His relationship with her is in transition. As adolescents assert their independence, even more must Jesus assert that he is not only the son of Mary, a human man, but the Son of God, the Messiah. It can’t have been an easy transition for either human son or human mother.

Beginnings, no matter how welcome, are never altogether painless. They inevitably involve relinquishing the old to take up the new. If the coming new year brings such changes into our own lives, we do well to remember that our Lord knows how we feel. He’s been there.

PRAY for the Diocese of Zanzibar (Tanzania)

Ps 18:1-20 * 18:21-50; 2 Samuel 23:13-17b; 2 John: 1-13

View the daily Lectionary Readings at http://satucket.com/lectionary/

Or view the Bible passages at Biblegateway.com or Oremus Bible browser.

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Do whatever he tells you

Dec 29, 2011 at 5:47 am

Written by Bill,

What I find interesting is that Mary doesn't seem discouraged or upset by Jesus' remark, but without missing a beat tells the servants to follow his directions. She knows that he will take care of the problem, in spite of his apparent rebuff.

Mary, The Mother Of Our Lord

Dec 29, 2011 at 5:59 am

Written by emeline,

Mothers, like Mary, recognize the capabilities of their children. Mary had this instinctive feeling that Jesus could "rescue" the Master of the Wedding Feast from an embarrassing situation, the runnining out of wine. As a mother with an authoritative approach, she recognized that Jesus'intervention would "save the day" for the Marriage Feast. Jesus' response shows that he had a solid relationship with His Mother, and would do anything to appease her.

We thank God for both Mary and Jesus' part in the Marriage Feast.

I wonder...

Dec 29, 2011 at 6:08 am

Written by Linda,

What I always wonder is how Mary knew her son could do something about the need. Had Jesus performed a similar miracle at home? Maybe it was a bit of a playful exchange between them. Maybe Mary had witnessed his power and, being a mother, was anxious to have Jesus get on with his ministry so others would see his glory too. All parents are anxious for their kids' abilities to be recognized. I know there are deep theological lessons here, but I enjoy musing over the family love of the story.

...

Dec 29, 2011 at 8:42 am

Written by nancy berndt,

If you read only the line of Scripture that is given, we note that first Jesus performed a "sign", and second, the disciples believed. Did He inherently understand that something extraordinary was necessary on His part to enable belief in Him? If so, it is another example of His understanding of human nature, and He accomodates both it and them. Are there times that we require some kind of "proof" of Who He is?

"Do whatever he tells you"

Dec 29, 2011 at 7:29 pm

Written by Mel,

This quote from Mary is one of my favorite parts of scripture. I have always thought she was speaking to all of us who strive to consider ourselves "servants."

I also wonder what the metaphor is for "wine?" Is it Jesus himself? In reading the scriptures I have found many places where there are what seem to be metaphorical references to wine, and I have wondered what wine is a symbol for?

Finally, I am not a cradle Episcopalian, so the idea of saints is something new for me. I really like the Satucket link with the lectionary and also links for saints with the descriptions of their work, prayers, etc. I especially liked this section from today. Worth the read if you don't normally venture to those links...

"A martyr, a saint, is always made by the design of God, for His love of men, to warn them and to lead them, to bring them back to His ways. A martyrdom is never the design of man; for the true martyr is he who has become the instrument of God, who has lost his will in the will of God, not lost it but found it, for he has found freedom in submission to God. The martyr no longer desires anything for himself, not even the glory of martyrdom. So thus as on earth the Church mourns and rejoices at once, in a fashion that the world cannot understand..."

...

Dec 29, 2011 at 10:44 pm

Written by Mary C.,

Like Bill, I enjoy the fact that, immediately after Jesus apparently refuses to do anything about the wine supply, Mary simply, matter-of-factly says aside to the servants, "Do what he tells you." Clearly, she KNOWs him!

As for the way he answers her, of course we don't have his actual, Aramaic words. In Greek, the word by which he addresses her here is "gyne"--the same word by which, about 800 years earlier, Homer had Hector address Andromache. One translator of the Iliad renders that word in that context as "lady." (Since my Greek New Testament is out in the car, I can't be sure of this next thought, but I'm reasonably sure that it's the same word Jesus used on the cross to tell Mary he was commending her to John's care.)

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