In John’s gospel, Jesus performs his first miracle at a wedding. We talk about Cana, we use the passage to reflect the snark of Jesus addressing his mother, the oddity of having Christians make teetotalling a doctrine of faithfulness, and the amazed wonder of the steward about the quality of the wine.
What happens in Jesus’ first miracle is the template for the rest of his ministry. Jesus takes something sacred and transforms it. What had been used for cleansing rituals, rituals that could involve shame, recounting of failings, and a barrier to entry, would now be used in the celebration after the religious ceremony of a wedding.
Jesus will continue to transform things. Things that were used in one way will be used in another. Circumstances will be changed. Purification and restoration will happen. At the regular moments of life, God will be present. This will be the model for the ministry of Christ. And if it is the model for the life of Christ, should it not be the model for our lives? How do we experience Christ transforming the everyday in our lives? How do we transform the everyday into the sacred in our lives and the lives of those around us?
