Generosity

The First of the Signs

The wedding in Cana is a common story. It’s the event where Jesus turns water into wine. John is the only Gospel to recount the story and he depicts it first in line of Jesus’ miracles, but John doesn’t call them miracles he calls them signs.

John 2:11 ESV

This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

From healings, to feeding, to walking on water, & raising Lazarus. John counts them all as evidence that we are going the right direction and the way is pointing to Jesus’ divinity. They foreshadow truth about Jesus and His purpose.

The first is the changing of water into wine.

1st Century Wedding in Judah.

The father of a son of age would negotiate with the father of a daughter of age on the dowry he would provide the son’s family at the contract of their marriage.

In those days a daughter would leave her family and go to live with her husbands family. Often this would require extra resources in order to provide for her needs and also grow the wealth enough to provide for the many children they would add to the family.

Wealthy families may start this process when the children are very young and get the contract out in front of the betrothal. However, for the common folk they would negotiate this process when the children were ready for marriage.

After the agreement of price is reached the bride has 1 year to make her shroud, and her family to prepare the assets for her husbands family. On the day of their wedding the bride groom and his friends will walk through town with singing and dancing to invite everyone to come with them on the bridal procession. They will stop and invite prominent figures in the community to accompany them on their way to get their bride.

Once they get to the brides home the family brings her out adorned for the wedding and they parade back as an entire community to the tent of the bride groom where they celebrate for at most 7 days. At least 1 day. Wednesdays were reserved for virgins getting married and Thursdays for widows. The Wednesday weddings were always the bigger to-do.

Though it is the bridge-grooms responsibility to provide for the celebration it was customary for the father of the bride to include in the dowry vats of wine.

A wealthy man would set aside a vat of wine from his vineyard each year starting at the birth of his daughter. At her wedding they would start with the aged wine first and work their way down through the newer wine. Now if he was poor he might not get wine saved every year or start saving at the beginning. If he were a rich man with multiple daughters he might move vats to the more promising daughters (the ones who will gain him better in-laws.)

So if you marry into a poor family or to a homely girl chances are your wine will be limited. It is a foe-pa to cut the celebration short before everyone is done celebrating for you. To run out of wine is to suggest your bride is a bit of an embarrassment.

New Wine

Jesus’ mom was apparently assigned a seat by the kitchen because before the guests or the host she is aware of the wine shortage. She enlists the help of her son who miraculously provides an abundance of wine. The master of the feast (A prominent member of the community) brings the bridegroom to his side and declares ....

John 2:10 ESV

and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.”

Everyone expects that the best wine comes first. But Jesus’ miracle brings the best wine last. Which is a surprise to everyone.

The Good Ole Days

Do any of you find yourselves wishing for the good ole days? It seems that we all look on what came first in our lives with not only fondness but admiration. Things that came first were always better.

For the Jewish tradition it is the same. The first was better and its all been down hill since. First we had Mike, I mean Moses. then Joshua, Isaiah Elijah so on.. Then a whole string of prophets that follow in line but never outstrip the first.

The Jews expect what ever God sends to lead them will always be less than what they already have.

But the first sign, that Jesus does to manifest his Glory… Is to save the best wine till now . . . till the end.

Jesus is the best wine, which will be celebrated till the end of the wedding feast.

Generosity

Lets take a closer look at Jesus’ actions to learn a lesson for how we can live OUT Hope.

Jesus didn’t have to act. Someone was in need but it wasn’t his responsibility to meet the need. He even questions his mother...

John 2:4 ESV

And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.”

but he acts in submission to his mother, and in support of the community.

We give so as not to appear selfish or in our self-righteousness

Matthew 6:1–4 ESV

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

We give to control and manipulate others.

Luke 6:30 ESV

Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back.

We give to make ourselves feel better, regardless of what the other person wants.

Give out of your abundance.

Don’t give out of compulsion give out of abundance. You have the best wine! Everything you need!!!