Water is life – 70 percent of our world is water; 60 percent of our body is water; over 70 percent of our brain and heart is water. A normal person can survive 21 days without food but only 3 days without water. So, if water is life, why did Jesus turn water into wine at a wedding in the little town of Cana in Galilee?
John 2:7-10 (NIV): Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim… “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so, and the master of the banquet… called the bridegroom aside and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”
This happened at a wedding, a time of joyful celebrations, where wine was essential to lift up the mood at the occasion, to bring out the jokes and the laughs. In the midst of a world with unending challenges, this lighter side to life is crucially important. Joy helps to heal pain, and in joy we find new strength to go on living.
This is the first miracle that Jesus performs (John 2:11) – it is uplifting that the first public display of Jesus extraordinary powers has a lesson about joy. A sweet heavenly joy that revived the low energy mood at the end of the wedding at Cana – and has made that wedding the talk of the town from that day to this day.
Dear God, the Christian faith without joy is torture; we read and believe that you want us to have joy; the full and incomparable joy that Jesus can give is what we want; that heavenly sweet energizing joy at the end that made the wedding at Cana the talk of the town is what we want; hear our prayers Lord, in Jesus name, Amen!
