January 10 through the 15th Lectionary Reflections
Last Monday morning I read Isaiah 62:1-5 and wrote out some of the passage in red, underlining a phrase that struck me, “…for the Lord delights in you.” The passage is about God’s love for ancient Israel even as they experienced the consequences of their unfaithfulness. The phrase reminded me of a friend’s question a few months ago, “What does God love about you?” Her question had stumped me. I tend to think about God's love as general, something that’s true, like gravity, but I do think real love is specific and personal and tangible and tied to action.
Paul’s description of love in I Corinthians comes to mind, “Love is patient, love is kind, love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way. It is not irritable or resentful. It does not rejoice in wrongdoing but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” To the degree with which my thoughts, words, and actions towards those I love are in line with this description, I'm loving them well.
At midday, not long after I read this passage, Scott and I ventured out in the neighborhood to walk the dogs. I fell on a snow-covered patch of ice and hurt my right wrist. An x-ray showed a bad fracture, with multiple pieces of my wrist needing to be put back together. The next day, a surgeon put in a plate. The rest of the week I spent most of my time in a nest of blankets on the couch, taking pain medication, watching the great British Baking show, and figuring out what I could and could not do one-handed. Since I usually write as I read scripture,I decided to try with my still-healthy hand.
I wrote out psalm 36:5-10 with a green pen in a shaky left-handed script, “your steadfast love reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds.” With our dogs curled up at the end of the couch near my feet, I read “you save humans and animals alike,” On Thursday I wrote out first Corinthians 12:7 in dark blue, “To each is given the manifestation of the spirit for the common good.” On Thursday evening, we experienced good food and dessert brought over by friends. Definite common good.
Friday’s scripture was John's description in chapter 2 of The wedding at Cana. I jotted down words and phrases from the story in light blue. “Wedding at Cana/six stone water jugs used for Jewish rituals of purification/filled with wine.”
I’ve never understood why Jesus would turn the water to wine, especially as his first miracle. Why would John, who only records seven miracles in his whole book, include this one? Sure, Jesus saves the hosts from the embarrassment of not having enough wine for their guests, but there's no indication that they asked for help or ever knew the source of the wine. Those who are unimportant and excluded being included in the knowledge of what is really happening—with only Mary, the servants, and his disciples really knowing the whole story—is a thread that will run through the Gospel. But still. Water to wine?
I thought about the difference between the uses for the water and the wine. Water was used for outer rituals of cleanliness for a Jewish household, while the wine was shared with a large number of invited people to celebrate a wedding—the coming together of the bride and the groom.
In the third chapter of John, in Verse 28, just a page over from the description of Jesus’ first public act, John the Baptist says, “I am not the Messiah, but I have been sent ahead of him. He who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom who stands and hears him rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. For this reason in my joy has been fulfilled.” It strikes me that Jesus is the bridegroom. Matthew, Mark, and Luke each Jesus words referring to himself as a bridegroom. The wedding in Cana is both a memorable celebration, with the best reception wine ever, and the beginning of Jesus’ ministry in a particular time and place that will end with him giving himself for his bride. He’ll fulfill promises that were made way back to ancient Israel and extend the invitation to all people, so that verse back in Isaiah 62, “The lord delights in you,” includes me on my couch, still covered in blankets with dogs at my feet.