John 2

John 2

Two Opposites

 Jesus obeys his Mother and turns water into wine.  He fulfills the commandment that we are to obey our parents so that we can have a long life.  He seems reluctant to do so, "Woman, what has this to do with me?  My hour has not yet come."  But he obeys, and He does it with flourish.  He turns that dirty water, that was to be used for washing, into the best wine.  

Jesus shows his care for this wedding celebration and the celebrants by providing what was desired.  He gives us more than we ask for.  The wedding party expected the lesser wine, and they got the best.  Jesus, too, cares about your desires.  He cares about the individual and the seemingly insignificant things in our lives.  Nothing is too small for him.  Jesus takes us ordinary, unclean humans and sets us apart for Himself..

The bookend to this tender first miracle is the clearing of the temple.  St. John is showing us again, in black and white comparisons, Law and Gospel at work.  There was blatant, open, unrepentant defilement of the Holy Temple.  This defilement was encouraged by those in charge of the temple.  Everybody was getting their piece of the money pie from the trade developed by the money-changers and sellers of sacrificial animals.  

God has specific ways we are to worship, specific ways we are not to worship.  Jesus is showing that this is not the way to worship.  This is the Father's house, and Jesus was making way for us, taking out the middlemen.  Jesus is showing the Jews that He is the temple, that He is God.