SAVING FACE AND SAVING GRACE
Cooke’s-Portsmouth Church
January 17, 2016
John 2:1-11
When I was writing my doctoral thesis many years ago I received some feedback early on
from one of the readers that included a powerful image. After reading one of the chapters
he said, “You have some great pearls of wisdom in this chapter, but it lacks fluidity. It is
like you have a string in one hand and a bowl of beads in another. You need to string the
beads together to make a beautiful, complete unit.” I found the image very helpful and I
think of that image whenever I sit down to write a reflective piece. I will confess that I as
I struggled with what might be insightful and meaningful in the gospel lesson for this
morning I judged that I had more of a bowl of beads than a beautiful necklace.
Part of the problem is preaching about abundance in a time of economic uncertainty and
increasing poverty. A second challenge is speaking about a miracle that transform water
into wine as being troublesome to non-imbibers and recovering alcoholics. It is usually
better to struggle with a text than to dismiss it and reflect on another, but as the days of
the week wore on and I still had a figurative bowl of beads I became increasingly
stressed. I began to consider the text from a different angle.
Rather than focusing on the miracle itself I wanted to concentrate on the themes of
abundance and transformation and look at the relationship between Jesus and his mother.
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This is a story about abundance and transformation in no less a way than the accounts in
the gospels of feeding the multitude. And, as with all miracle stories we need to view
them through the lens of faith rather than credulity. Not only is this story unique to John,
he chooses it as the first miracle performed by Jesus at the start of his public ministry.
It goes without saying that John’s gospel is very different from the synoptics Matthew,
Mark and Luke. It contains no genealogy to contextualize Jesus and no birth narrative.
There is no epiphany following a baptism. Jesus’ ministry- in the gospel of John- begins
in a setting of great joy and celebration. He is the guest at a wedding, along with his
mother and disciples. He is there in no official capacity. In fact we assume that he is there
in relative anonymity. He has not garnered the invitation from a grateful recipient of his
healing power. In fact, like the story from Luke last week, this scenario takes place before
he has preached a sermon or performed any miracle. Furthermore, when things at the
reception began to go wrong Jesus’ help is not solicited by the host of the wedding, but
his own mother.
To run out of food or wine at a reception that was to last for several days would reflect
poorly on the host. How she came to know that the wine was running low is not
indicated. But wanting to save the host of the party and the bride and groom
embarrassment she approaches the one guest at the reception that she judged could make
a difference. But when she speaks to her son he seems to almost rebuke her. The supply
of wine was none of his business of hers, and furthermore his time had not yet come. And
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although the discussion appears to have come to an end, the mother of Jesus seems to
know her son very well.
On one level we see him completely embracing his humanity: attending a wedding with
other kin and townsfolk; having what appears to be a difference of opinion between him
and his mother as is common in many households. His mother urges him to act and he
digs in his heels a little. But then he takes the action that demonstrates his power and
authority.
I do not know why Mary took the initiative to prod her son to action. Neither do I truly
know why for sure Jesus resisted a little. If he was attending the wedding in anonymity
before being awash in the demands of the madding crowd, it makes sense for him to be
reluctant to act before his time. He had his figurative bowl of beads and a string but he
knew when, where and how he was going to begin the process of transformation. Perhaps
John is subtly reminding the reader that Jesus had a mother; that he was not an entity unto
himself. Perhaps he is demonstrating that Jesus will not be pushed or coerced by even the
person who gave him life. There is a plan and God incarnate in Jesus is the one who will
put the plan into action. At the same time, despite the gentle rebuke it appears to not be in
his nature to see someone lose face. So in an act of both saving face and saving grace, he
asks that the six jugs available for water for ritual purification be filled with water, and
then taken to the wine steward for sampling. You know the rest of the story.
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The new wine is far superior to what is generally served after guests have imbibed
sufficient to have it affect their judgment. It would appear that the host of the party had
been holding out on the steward- saving the best for last rather than serving the best when
persons were more discerning. It was a sign that pointed to the power and person in their
midst, but it subtly suggests as well what the ministry of Jesus will entail.
He has come to forge a new path. The old religion of purification and religious minutia
and strict adherence to rules will be replaced. Water has been transformed into wine, and
the vats shall never run dry. The six water pots used for ritual cleansing point to the
emptiness of the old religion. The wine is symbolic of biblical prosperity, abundance and
celebratory times. The party will not end and disgrace the host. It is a new beginning
where the best yet shall be. The story is lovely merging of the human and divine aspects
of the person of Jesus. A dutiful son of Mary who was not above telling his mother to
remember her place and the Son of God with a mission to fulfill. This is a story of both
saving face and saving grace; an account of the power of Jesus to transform and offer
abundant life. Perhaps we do not have the same appreciation for the notion of abundance.
We live in a time when the resources of the world are facing depletion. The loonie dipped
below 70 cents this week and has prompted speculation on lowering of interest rates in
response. Conversation abounds on how best to respond to the rising unemployment in
the west due to falling oil prices. Where should we invest our resources as individuals
and as a congregation to help us feel secure in a time of uncertainty? Churches are
concerned about their viability in a time of increasing costs and diminishing membership
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rolls. We may want to pray that water will be turned into wine so that the party can
continue, but this is a prayer that will probably not be answered to our expectation and
desire. Like Mary we take the stand of “there is a problem and you can make it go away
so do something!”
As persons of faith we believe that everything has been changed with the incarnation, and
yet outwardly it seems as though nothing has changed. Like the servants who helped with
the transformation, we know truths that others would dismiss as folly. We know that the
water has become wine; word become flesh, but there are guests at the wedding who do
not have a clue.
The wine steward in the story recognizes the excellence in the new wine, but does not
understand where it came from. Not recognizing that it has come from Jesus, he is
blissfully unaware of the sign that is pointing to God’s grace. The troubles that continue
to plague the world may be of greater consequence than the host of a wedding running
out of wine, but like that host, the world may be unaware of the grace that pervades
As we step more surely into the unfolding year with anticipated highs and lows, may we
be concerned more with saving grace than with saving face. And to God be the glory.
Amen.
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