Keep the Party Going

St. Mary’s Episcopal Church

Our Gospel story for today, the miracle at the wedding in Cana of Galilee, is the first of seven signs in John's Gospel that are designed to show us something about the divine power in Jesus. John tells us these are not all of the signs that Jesus provided. There were more. These are simply the ones John decided to share with us. Not all of them are labeled, so there is some scholarly disagreement about which are the seven, or even if there seven or maybe eight. These are all side issues. This one we heard today is the first, John says. The others that follow include several of Jesus's healings, the feeding of the multitude, and the raising of Lazarus from the dead. That is some remarkable company to be in. This thing that Jesus does at the wedding at his mom's request is right up there with the feeding of the multitudes, and the healing of the sick, and the raising of the dead. This seemingly trivial thing of keeping the party going matters.

Each of these signs in John's Gospel reveal something important about God. In the raising of Lazarus we learn about resurrection, that God does not let death have the final word. In the many deaths that we face in this life, God is bringing about new life. Through the signs of healing, of which there are several, we know that God cares about our physical bodies and their wellness. God values not only our spiritual health, but also our physical well being. In the feeding of the multitudes we see that God cares about nourishing us, and God provides more than enough for our nourishment. There is an abundance available so that everyone can be satisfied.

In today's reading, the sign at the wedding at Cana of Galilee, by lifting up the miracle that allows the party to continue, we see that God cares about our joy, about pleasure, about fun. All too often we think about religion as serious business. It is, but one of the things that God seriously cares about is joy. God delights in our delight. When God became Incarnate in the person of Jesus, God did weighty and grave things certainly, but God also had fun. Jesus invited himself over to meals a lot. And one of the great criticisms of Jesus at the time was that he was a glutton and a drunkard. He liked the parties.

Here he is at one in Cana of Galilee and they have run out of wine. So Jesus makes more. Not just a little bit and not just the cheap stuff. He makes the good stuff and he makes a lot of it. He makes sure the celebration is not going to end for a good long while. God cares about the celebration. God cares about joy. These are not ancillary matters in a good and holy life. Playfulness matters. Fun matters. Joy matters.

Joy, unfortunately, has been rather hard to come by these past few years. It's not just that there is so much bad news, although that is definitely part of it. We are tired. The accumulation of bad news has worn us out. Safety protocols have worn us out. Being on high alert has worn us out. I read an article a couple of weeks ago that mentioned a survey in which they asked people what words they would use to describe themselves right now. The number one word that people used to describe themselves was exhausted. Does that resonate with you? I know there are moments when it resonates with me. Exhausted. And joy is hard to come by when you are exhausted.

And yet, joy is important. We need to find ways top have fun, even in the midst of so much difficulty. When it comes time to return to a more normal life when this pandemic is over, and it will end. Every pandemic in the history of the world has come to an end, and this one will, too. When it does, joy has to be at the top of our priorities, to have fun together, again. Because fun is not a side issue to God. Joy is part of a whole and holy life. In this first miracle, the first sign of God's divine presence with us, Jesus kept the party going.

AMEN.