“When Wine Becomes Water”

John 2:1-11

Rev. Martin C. Singley, III

The Gospel of John is sometimes described as “the Gospel of Signs.” The book is constructed around seven miraculous signs Jesus performed that convinced his followers that he was indeed the Messiah. The very first of the signs was the turning of water into fine wine at the wedding in Cana of Galilee.

Wedding celebrations in those days sometimes went on for days. Running out of wine was unthinkable! Not only did it spoil the party, but it also cast shame upon the hospitality of the bridegroom whose responsibility it was to provide the wine. Perhaps he was poor and could not afford more wine, or maybe he just had not planned well enough. We don’t know. All we know is the wine ran out, and it was a bad scene.

So Jesus’ mother Mary, who knew something herself about the experience of shame, pulls Jesus aside and asks him if he can’t do something to help.

So Jesus has them gather 6 big stone jars full of water. We are not told what he does or says. All we know is that when the wine steward draws some out to taste it, the water has become wine – very fine wine! And the wine steward calls the bridegroom over and says, “Everyone else serves the good wine first and when people have gotten a little tipsy brings out the cheap-o stuff. But YOU have saved the best wine for now!”

The bridegroom is rescued from his embarrassing predicament, and Jesus’ disciples believe in him!

What a strange thing! Why would the disciples come to believe that Jesus was the Messiah simply because he turned water into wine?

Well, it actually has nothing at all to do with the wine. But it has everything to do with what Jesus did for the bridegroom.

Jesus gave the man back his dignity.

The Christian faith – the belief that Jesus is the long-promised Messiah – is built upon the foundation of God’s redemptive activity through Christ. Through Jesus, the last become first, the rejected are accepted, the lowly are lifted, and even those who have sinned and made terrible mistakes are forgiven and given another chance.

Jesus specializes in helping underdogs!

A few years ago, Sandy and I went to see the movie “Seabiscuit”. What a wonderful true-life story about an undersized, knobby-kneed bay colt that was given to too much eating and almost constant sleeping. Seabiscuit lost almost all the races he ran, and was finally sold. The new owner handed Seabiscuit over to a trainer by the name of Tom Smith. He saw some potential in the horse, and paired him up with a down-on-his-luck jockey by the name of Red Pollard. And lo and behold, Seabiscuit started running well, and winning! In 1937, Seabiscuit won 11 of the 15 races he ran. People loved the little horse!

Then in 1938, Seabiscuit went up against Triple Crown Winner War Admiral. 40,000 people jammed into Pimlico to witness the race. An estimated 40 million were listening on the radio. It was dubbed “The Race of the Century.” And it was!

So there we were – Sandy and me – sitting in a theater in Concord, NH, hearts pounding out of our chests as the bell rang and the race began. Seabiscuit went out to an early lead, but the huge, powerful War Admiral soon caught up, and took a slight advantage. Around the course they went, the favorite in the lead down the backstretch, around the final turn, and into the homestretch. And then, just 200-yards from the finish line, Seabiscuit found a second wind. His little legs were churning in a full gallop as he got head-to-head with War Admiral, and then – miracle of miracles – the unlikely colt pulled ahead of the champion – one length – two – three…four…

A sudden surge of emotion welled up inside me, and I was doing everything I could to keep myself from breaking down into sobs. There was this big lug sitting next to me on one side and I was not going to let him see me cry. And just as I got the point where I didn’t think I could keep it inside any longer, the big lug next to me went (sob-sob-sob).

So I joined in. Two grown men sitting in a movie, crying. And though I don’t know his name and have never seen him again, in that one moment watching the underdog overcome all the odds to win, we became brothers.

I think we all have something inside us that cheers for the underdog.

That’s what the stories of the Bible are all about. That’s what the stories of Jesus are all about. He became the champion of those who were disadvantaged in life.

And his disciples believed in him.

You see, what we and the disciples all understand is that turning water into wine is not nearly so common in or world as wine turning to water.

The joy of your family is taken away by the pain of a divorce, or an illness, or an arrest, or a failure. The joy of your work is soured by a layoff, or being passed over for a promotion. The joy of life is sucked from you by a mental disorder, or a loved one’s condition that drains your energy and leaves you feeling hopeless.

There’s a lot of wine turned into water in our world.

A magnitude 7 earthquake strikes Haiti. An already impoverished nation is virtually destroyed. 100,000 people may have died, and the count could run as high as 200,000. Very few buildings stood up to the shockwaves, and there is virtually no shelter. Hospitals have run out of medicine. Food is in short supply. Relief aid can’t get there fast enough.

Haiti, you know, was the first independent nation in Latin America. It was the first post-colonial, black-led nation in the world. It is the only nation to gain its independence when slaves stood up to those who owned them, and rebelled against the forces of oppression. Haiti is a beautiful place, and yet we all know that Haiti was a miserable place even before the earthquake. Haiti is like that child of yours who just can’t make life work for himself. Haiti is like that family you know that has experienced tragedy after tragedy. Haiti is like the biggest underdog in the world.

And we have a faith that transforms water into wine.

What can we do to help?

First of all, when confronted by human tragedy of any kind, be slow to judge. I was so disappointed this week to hear a nationally known televangelist declare that bad things happen to Haiti because the people made a pact with the devil when they rebelled against the French. The Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti is prosperous and well, he said. Haiti is poor and miserable. And it’s all because the people rebelled against the French.

I guess it was a sin that these slaves didn’t want to be enslaved anymore. I guess it was the devil that made them want to be free.

The trouble with judging others is that we don’t know all that goes into another person’s life. We can see the outward appearance, but we have no idea of the inward condition. And even more importantly, we are prone to ignore the fact that life is not fair.

Had you been born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, your face might well be among those of the victims you see on TV. Had you felt a calling to be a missionary to the people of Haiti, you might well be among the missing. If you were a part of a school trip to Haiti you might well be among the dead. If you had gone to Haiti as a doctor or nurse or a UN worker, you might well be among the victims.

An awful lot of life happens because of good fortune and bad fortune. If you had been born in Afghanistan, you would not think about Muslims the way you do as an American. If you had been born black, you would see tomorrow’s Martin Luther King holiday differently than many white people do.

So Jesus said, “Don’t judge.” You cannot transform water into wine by condemning people you don’t even know.

Second, when confronted by human tragedy like this, have a view that looks out toward long-term healing. Right now, of course, there is an immediate need for food and water and medical supplies. But there are other long term needs that must be met. That’s why we work with Church World Service because, long after the relief agencies have done their important work, Church World Service will still be there in Haiti, partnering with churches and others to help rebuild houses and villages and finding ways to produce clean water. Think of it like this: when we encounter homeless people, we can put them up for a night in a motel, but that only addresses the problem that night; on the other hand, when we work with a group like Habitat For Humanity as we do, we help to provide safe housing for families for as long as the family is there. Share your financial resources with agencies that will be at work in Haiti for the long haul.

And finally, when confronted by human tragedy like this, focus on the children.

The government in Haiti may be corrupt and non-functioning. The culture may embrace religious traditions that are not healthy. Parents may make terrible decisions that deepen the poverty and make life much worse.

But children have no role in that. They do not decide where to be born, and to whom to be born. Children are often the primary victims of life’s tragedies.

The Bible tells us that God will judge us on how we treat the little ones among us.

So when you’re watching news of this tragedy on television, look at the children. Look into their faces – into their eyes – into the misery to which they awaken every day.

And then DO something for them.

You and I alone will not be able to transform the world’s water into wine. But joined with millions of others, and a Savior who loves the people of Haiti, miracles CAN happen!

And you and I ourselves can be a SIGN of God’s amazing grace.

And maybe that will help the world believe in Him.