The Episcopal Diocese of Tennessee



The Second Sunday after the Epiphany , January 17, 2010, St. Bede’s Church Manchester

“Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him” (Jo. 2:11).

In J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic saga about the fictional Middle Earth, the hobbit Frodo embarks on a quest to return the Ring of Power to the place where it was forged, so that it can be destroyed and the land freed from the evil power that has enslaved it. Frodo has endured much, and overcome many obstacles, but at the end his will fails and he cannot free himself from the dark influence of the Ring. Those of you who know the story, in book or on film, know that circumstances intervene and the Ring is destroyed, in a way that fulfills a prophecy made earlier in the story. Good triumphs, but even the best of hobbits is unable to accomplish the task. Something else has to intervene in order for Frodo, and the world he inhabits, to be made free.

The miracle at Cana of Galilee is somewhat to the same point. It’s the first of a series of seven miracles in John’s Gospel that reveal the glory of the Lord, and illustrate the power of God to transform human life. A miracle is by definition an intervention in the natural order; something that goes beyond human power and ability. The miracles of John’s Gospel, that begin with the changing of water into wine at Cana and culminate in the raising of Lazarus from the dead, are all a case in point. So in John’s Gospel Jesus heals the sick man and the nobleman’s son, restores sight to the blind man, walks on the water to calm the disciples, and feeds the five thousand as well. The story of Cana that we have today is just the first of seven that help provide the framework of our Gospel narrative.

God intervenes, but to what purpose? The miracles of Jesus aren’t meant to show what a marvel he is, but are meant reveal God’s glory in a way that human life is transformed. So fears are calmed, sickness is healed, hunger is fed. What is lacking is supplied and what has been taken away is restored, even life in the face of death. The miracles of John’s Gospel show the capacity of human life, even though the power to make the changes that are needed goes way beyond our human capabilities.

The story of Cana of Galilee is significant in this detail: the changing of the water into wine. We bring to our Christian discipleship our own powers and abilities, but all of that is purposeless unless God intervenes and changes our water into his wine. Unless Jesus stands in the midst of our gathering and pronounces the words that will transform us we won’t be able to move ahead with what we’ve got. Just like Frodo in The Lord of the Rings, we are unable to free either ourselves or our world from the power of evil. Even though our intentions are good (at least some of the time), we haven’t got the will for it. We think we’re clever, and we are, but until the human will is healed by the miracle of grace we will continue to be bound by forces that would hold us in thrall.

The good news in John’s Gospel is that God is trustworthy, and Jesus is powerful to save. At our Eucharist today, bread and wine will become for us Christ’s Body and Blood, so that we can be changed and become the children of God. Our wills may be limited and flawed, but God’s purpose is not, and he means to transform this world and us. A sign of that transformation might be a contribution given today through Episcopal Relief and Development to the work of the Church in earthquake-stricken Haiti. Wills that are healed by the miracle of grace can be moved to action. God is at work; Jesus is powerful to save; our water can be turned into wine, but only if Jesus stands in our midst. With our gift, we make our own witness that he is among us, pronouncing the blessing.

- The Rt Rev’d John Bauerschmidt, Bishop of Tennessee

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