Dining with Jesus

In my reflections this week, we will be ‘dining with Jesus’. There are many instances in the Gospels where we see Jesus doing that most ordinary, human thing, of dining with his family or his friends, or even just sharing a meal because someone wanted a chance to chat with him.
The wedding at Cana. John 2: 1-12
Make no mistake, this is a biggy! There is no description of Jesus tucking in with his family and friends, but a Jewish wedding is a most important event in the community, lasts for days, and we can have no doubt that Jesus was there as one of many guests. Jesus was only in the very early stage of his ministry, so was most likely known as Mary and Joseph’s boy, a local carpenter, and probably (as Joseph is no longer mentioned) the head of his household. In all probability it was one of many weddings that he had attended; the difference was that at the others the bridegroom hadn’t messed up and run out of wine.
I always wondered at Jesus’ reluctance to help out here, but we know that his ministry was never showy or attention-grabbing so probably it started out that way too. However, once he let his mum persuade him (and don’t you just love Mary’s persistance and confidence- that’s mothers for you! ), he did what he had to do in no small measure. He didn’t ask the servants to bring a couple of vessels of water, that just might have been enough. No, he asked for the huge vessels that held the water for footwashing; these held twenty to thirty gallons each. Nor was that water turned into a light easy-on-your-palate everyday wine. What the guests were perhaps given was an award-winning smooth-as-silk type burgundy. Such a huge improvement on what had already being served that it occasioned the master of ceremonies to call the bridegroom over to ask about it.
And that is the point I would like to make from this dining with Jesus. He never does things by half-measure; he is the same God as he was at that wedding feast 2000 years ago. If we hand a problem over to him, really place it in his hands, he will sort it out, big-time! For me, the words God and abundant are a perfect match.