This week I reread an analysis of marriage written by a man
who maintains that there is a natural tendency in every marriage to go from the
height of bliss to the humdrum of routine. He analogizes it to the reaction of
the husband to his wife’s head colds during the first seven years of marriage.
He calls it “The Seven Stages of a Married Cold.”
He says in the first year it’s: “Sweetheart, I’m so worried
about you. You’ve got a bad sniffle and there’s no telling about these things
with all those germs floating around. I’m going to take you to the hospital for
the afternoon where you can get a thorough check-up and a few hours of fluids.
Now, I know that hospital food is not the best, so I’ve arranged for a caterer
to deliver a couple of gourmet meals.”
The second year it’s: “Listen darling, I don’t like the
sound of that cough and I’ve called Dr. Miller to come over right away. Now go
to bed like a good girl and I’ll clean the house, do the laundry, cook dinner
and maybe you’ll start feeling better.”
The third year it’s: “Maybe you better lie down honey.
Nothing like a little rest when you’re not feeling well. I’ll bring you
something to eat. By the way, do we have any soup?”
The fourth year it’s: “Look dear, be sensible. After you
feed the kids and do the dishes you’d better hit the sack.”
The fifth year it’s: “Why don’t you get yourself a couple of
aspirin?”
The sixth year it’s: “If you just gargle or something
instead of sitting around barking like a seal.”
The seventh year it’s: “For Pete’s sake, stop sneezing!
Whatcha trying to do, gimme pneumonia?”
Now you may smile a bit at that, but every one of us would
acknowledge that there are stresses and strains in every marriage, and some
start quite early, like the ones in John 2. John says, “On the third day a wedding
took place at Cana in Galilee…and the wine ran out.” Now in our day there’s a
quick fix to such a problem, but in antiquity it was far more complicated than
that. For newlyweds in Jesus’ day there was no greater embarrassment than to
run out of wine at your reception.
The average wedding reception lasted a week. The law of
Israel commanded hospitality at any cost, and we see examples of that
throughout the Old and New Testament. Wine symbolized life and joy in Hebrew
culture. Moreover, wine was the symbol of divine blessing. The Rabbi’s had an
expression, “Without wine there is no joy and without joy there is no life.” To
run out of wine at a wedding feast was a catastrophe. It was an insult to one’s
guests and an embarrassment to the host. To run out of wine would be a breech of sacred trust, yielding nothing but
shame. And it’s into that harrowing circumstance that Jesus comes with His
first four disciples.
Now there are obvious questions that arise when you read
this account – John 2:1-11. Why include this story? Why does John cite this as
Jesus’ first miracle? And why, for heaven’s sake would you put it so early in
your narrative? Think of it. In chapter 1, John precedes this story with: (1) the
incarnation, (2) the identity of Jesus, and (3) the call of the first
disciples. Then suddenly, it’s wine at a wedding. Why? On what grounds does
this story warrant such a premier place in John’s gospel? And to top it off –
what’s the significance of marriage to John the apostle?
It’s these questions and more that we will explore this
Sunday in a message entitled “The Meaning of Marriage”. The text is John
2:1-11. And in preparation for Sunday you may wish to consider the following:
- How many miracles does John include in his gospel?
- What is the message John seeks to convey through the miracles of Jesus?
- What does John mean by the words: “On the third day”? (verse 1)
- What is the significance of Cana?
- What Old Testament account does John draw upon in composing the beginning of his gospel?
- What is the significance of Mary’s words in verse 3?
- What is the significance of Jesus’ reply in verse 4?
- What is the significance of the six water jars in verse 6?
- What marriage does John have in view when he tells us this story?
- How is this story the story of every believer?
See you Sunday!
