Daily Worship

Re: Fuel, Saving best for last

Fiona Reynolds January 20, 2025 6 1
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John 2: 1-11 (NRSV)

1 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’ 4 And Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.’ 5 His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’ 6 Now standing there were six stone water-jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to them, ‘Fill the jars with water.’ And they filled them up to the brim. 8 He said to them, ‘Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.’ So they took it. 9 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 10 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.’ 11 Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

Imagine sitting down to a lovely meal. On your plate is one of your favourite foods. Do you eat it first? Save it until last? Or savour a mouthful throughout? I am largely a ‘save until last’ type of person, hoping to let the enjoyment linger a little longer. I know others who eat the best bit first: after all, they might be too full to eat it if they leave it until last!

It is not clear whether the chief steward thinks the bridegroom has done a good thing, although we know he has done nothing at all. Is the steward praising the bridegroom, castigating him, or simply just making a statement?! What we do know, unlike the steward, is that the best wine came from Jesus, not the bridegroom. We also know that we do not need to wait until we are completely empty to ask to be filled…

 

Prayer:

 

Abundant Christ,

pour your love and light into our lives,

that we might be filled to overflowing,

not just for our own sake,

but for whom we meet and serve

every day,

AMEN.