Water Into Fine Wine

I spent the week-end cleaning old wine bottles in preparation for filling them this week.

Water is a great cleaning agent, but it has even nobler roles in the world of wine.

For Better or Worse . . .
It was a wedding host’s worst nightmare - and a bad omen for the marriage. At mid-point in the reception, the wine ran out. The celebration sagged and the guests would soon start leaving. It smacked of bad planning, embarrassing poverty or, worse, shabby hospitality.

Enter the mystery guest. Without fanfare, almost before anyone knew what had happened, Jesus replenished the depleted store of wine, and the party continued.


Mosaic in St. Saviour Church Istanbul


And not just one small glass per person! The story says - The Gospel of John, Ch. 2 that Jesus used the water of six 100-litre stone jars. By our measure, that’s 800 bottles of premium vintage wine.

The party re-ignited when guests discovered that the new wine was much better than the early stuff. Dancing resumed and the bridegroom was the toast of the hall for saving the best wine for the finale - and for bringing out such a bountiful supply that everyone stayed on for a good long time.

No wonder the disciples said that they glimpsed the glory of God that day in Jesus. There for all who had eyes to see, Jesus embodied the generosity of God, the anonymity of God and God’s penchant for transforming the ordinary into glory.

Jesus revealed the wonder of water - and of all created things. He didn’t pull a rabbit out of a hat; he started with water. That’s how the real world works.

Everyday in gardens and vineyards around the world Nature turns rain-water into grape juice, and vintners know how to turn that juice into fine delicate wines. With the Creator’s prowess, Jesus compressed the natural process into nano-seconds.

Water into wine - the miracle in the ordinary!

And how fitting to do this at a wedding! - because in almost every marriage the wine eventually runs out. Jesus came to enter our ordinary lives as living water, to transform our disappointment and poverty and embarrassments into glory and lasting joy, to fill our ordinary days with wonder!

That’s what Jesus does. Someone has said "he takes displaced, discouraged children and makes us Kings and Queens of Narnia. Then he invites us to open our eyes to the impossible, the unimaginable, and participate with him in his work in the world."

Jesus, the same way you participated in that wedding, I long for You to participate in my life. I don’t want a stand-aloof God or a magician, but someone to turn the water of my life into sparkling wine. I welcome you to do this in me. Let me catch glimpses of your glory in the ordinary things of this day. Amen.