The Abundance of Grace in Everyday Life
Dear Friends,
We are journeying through the Epiphany season once again, and during Epiphany the sequence of gospel readings that are set down for our worship remind me of a series of snapshots of Jesus. Each illuminates an aspect of Jesus’ person and work, giving us glimpses of his glory.
Recently, the Gospel reading threw the spotlight on Jesus as he attended a family wedding at Cana. At that wedding Jesus performed his very first miracle or ’sign’.
It all happened in the context of an ‘ordinary’ event, a wedding, but if we look closer, we discover a story overflowing with grace and meaning.
Text: John 2:1-11
Jesus Anointed at Bethany
Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.
“Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”
Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him.
The wedding feast was a joyful celebration, but something had gone badly wrong: the wine had run out. In Jesus’ time, this wasn’t just an inconvenience; it was a catastrophic failure to deliver hospitality. It would have been a source of great shame for the hosts, the bridegroom in particular. Weddings were communal events, with guests traveling far to celebrate the joining of two families. Running out of wine would have been talked about for years afterward in a close-knit community.
It’s Mary who evidently notices the problem first, and she turns to Jesus. Her words are simple: “They have no more wine.” She doesn’t demand or instruct; she trusts. Even when Jesus responds, “My hour has not yet come,” Mary seems to remain quietly confident. She tells the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
Jesus does act. He instructs the servants to fill six large stone jars—normally used for ceremonial washing—with water. What happens next is astonishing: the water becomes wine, and not just any wine, but the very best. In a moment, Jesus transforms shame into joy, scarcity into abundance. What must the bridegroom have been thinking? He had been saved from social disaster!
Why would Jesus choose this as his first miracle? It’s not as dramatic as healing the blind or raising the dead or calming a storm or walking on the water. Yet that’s precisely the point. Jesus’ presence at the wedding, and his choice to act, show us that God is deeply involved in the ordinary events of life. The miracle of turning water into wine wasn’t just about saving a wedding—it was a declaration that God’s grace is abundant, even in the mundane.
Martin Luther often spoke of the sacredness of everyday vocations. Whether we are married or single, we have various vocations. We are all husbands, wives, parents, sisters, brothers, etc, etc. And we have a vocation, a call as a worker, friend, community member and neighbour too. Our roles in life are holy because they are places where God works through us to bless others. We are ‘masks of God’ as we serve through the basic responsibilities of our vocations.
In this story, Jesus reminds us that our daily lives matter to him. He meets us in our ordinary callings and brings his transformative grace to bear, filling our emptiness with abundance.
But what happens when life doesn’t go as planned? Like the wedding hosts, we sometimes run out—of energy, patience, or hope. We fail in our vocations, hurt others, or fall short of God’s calling. These failures flow from our struggle with sin – and remind us of our need for grace.
The good news is that Jesus’ miracle at Cana points us to an even greater miracle: his death and resurrection. Throughout John’s Gospel, Jesus speaks of his “hour,” the moment when he would give his life for the world. He finally does reveal that his hour has come – as the events of Holy Week unfold. On the cross, Jesus poured out his blood—the ultimate “choice wine” of forgiveness and redemption—for the forgiveness of our sins. His sacrifice ensures that, no matter how often we run out, his grace never does.
The cross, paradoxically, also fully reveals Jesus’ glory. The glory of God’s one and only Son who emptied himself in sacrificial loving service for us all.
The wine at Cana is a sign that this grace of God, in Jesus, is not only sufficient, but abundant. The sheer volume of wine—hundreds of litres—illustrates the overflowing nature of God’s love for us all. And just as the wine was of the highest quality, so too is his grace – for you!
So, as you go about your week, take heart. God is with you in the ordinary moments of life, transforming them with his presence and blessing your vocations with meaning. And remember: the best is yet to come. Jesus’ death and resurrection promise us a future where sin and struggle are no more, where joy and abundance never end.
Amen.
