MP: Psalms 113, 115: 1 Samuel 2:1-10; John 2:1-12EP: Psalms 45 or 138, 149; Jeremiah 31:1-14 or Zechariah 2:1-13; John 19: 23-27 or Acts 1:6-14
I love the story in our MP reading from John today. Not for the usual water into wine reasons, but because of the inter-play between Jesus and his mother. She knows who he is, what he is. She has raised him, knowing he was going to do things that would shock, confound and change the world he inhabited. And Mary pushes Jesus a bit today. The first miracle story in the Gospel of John has Mary, Jesus' mother, being the impetus behind his performing this first sign of his majesty.
Think on this lovely domesticated scene. Jesus is at this wedding with his family and his disciples. We can chose to decide for ourselves whether he is having a rollicking good time, or is bored out of his mind, or is somewhere in between. His mom notes that the wine has run out and she goes to him telling him. Jesus reacts as many of us do to our parents pushing us, he tells her to leave him alone. She knows better and Mary tells the stewards to listen to him. And he, of course, relents and we have the first miracle in John's Gospel.
About what could this interplay between Jesus and Mary be a metaphor? As opposed to looking at it literally, what is it symbolic of in our lives, our world? How do we make this very human interaction, leading up to a major event, relevant to us and a part of our lives? Who in our lives knows us so well, and can push all our buttons, that we become reactionary, even when we know they are right? Do we, eventually listen to them, perhaps begrudgingly, to move or take action as we should? Is, perhaps, that annoyance we can feel at being prodded, a rejection of the Holy Spirit's (sometimes) none-to-gentle nudge pushing us in the right direction? To what do we need to be open to, today?
jfd+
Copyright 2011, The Rev. John F. Dwyer. All Rights Reserved.
Photo: Flowers @ St. Thomas', 2009.
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