Day 38
In the beginning was the Word. I AM. The Father and I are one. The Gospel of John is the one that breaks the mold. There are still parables and miracles, but throughout there is a pervading sense of the mystical. But even beyond that, Jesus embodies a noticeably different…ethos. And pathos. And logos. He dares to say, invoke, and provoke with a transcendent assurance.
I have to admit I struggle with this Gospel a lot. I struggle to separate out the declarations Jesus makes that identify him with God. It makes me wonder how my religious progressive ancestors read the scriptures and dissented concerning orthodox Christian doctrines. And I don’t share that as if my own faith is challenged. I do share it, though, because the Gospel of John invites me into a discerning and difficult dialogue with the text. “Who do you say that I am?” — Jesus asks. The Gospel of John makes it clear that as early as the mid first century, identifying Jesus as divine was already a part of some forms of Christianity.
I’d never deny that. My background in Patristics tells me the divinity of Christ was being wrestled with along with his lack of divinity…or his almost-divinity…or his angelic or special or different or ghostly or otherwise-defined-nature. The Gospels chosen here weren’t de facto until the third century. Yet at the same time, the letters of Paul and the Gospels were already being circulated in the first and second centuries.
The Gospel of John is a call to answer the question of “Who do you say that I am?” The previous three Gospels surely have that call, but it’s not as pointed and confrontational.
The image above was one of the happiest depictions of the Wedding at Cana I could find. The rest were dreadful. Why the morose art in Christianity? Anyway, the Wedding at Cana is unique to the Gospel of John. Here it is from John 2:1-11:
On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.” So they took it. When 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 and 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.” Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
It’s the very first miracle of this Gospel, which is interesting. It wasn’t with the sick, the lepers, or even among the Pharisees are at the temple. It was at a wedding celebration. There’s echoes of the Israelites in the desert getting manna from heaven, except this time it’s wine. And then you start to wonder, who’s wedding is it? I mean, really. Look at Jesus, wearing white, stealing the brides’ thunder!
I wonder if this first miracle in John is a glimpse of the kingdom Jesus speaks about. Here is a celebration of feasting and drinking and serving the good wine…a new marriage — a new life — is at the center of it all. I think to justice work where we forget the joy and celebration. Or, really, any church work where that happens. Perhaps the Wedding at Cana is a reminder that our ministries and passions should emerge out of a joyous celebration with humanity. For Jesus, what emerged was a ministry leading to his death…but it began with joy.
This post is part of a lager series where I read the entirety of Hebrew & Christian scriptures in 45 days. Take a look a the original post for more info, as well as links to other reflections on this journey.