Whatsoever |
Whatsoever |
I have been reading again at the story of Jesus at the wedding at Cana - the one where things were going well, but then the wine ran out. You can read the story in John 2 At the middle of the story is Mary. She was there with her family and, as women often do, noticing what was going on. She noticed that there was a problem brewing. Something vital was lacking and the realised that something needed to be done to solve it. She knew she couldn’t do it herself : she did not have the means or resources to find some more good wine. However she did notice and know that her son Jesus was there and she did know and notice that if she told him, he would respond, would have a way of meeting the need. This is one of my favourite sayings, attributed to St Bernard of Clairvaux as his principles for caring for the monks under his care,
It is is good advice in many contexts - from family dynamics to churches and workplaces. But I realised that one thing is missing from this. It is ‘Notice Jesus is here’ We are called and expected to be alert, be aware of the dynamics and needs of those around us. We can cherish and care, but we also need to turn round and remember that Jesus is there, in the middle of it all. He is able to act, miraculously, unexpectedly, if only we remember to ask him to. By noticing Jesus and asking him to act, Mary was instrumental in enriching this family celebration, in enabling rejoicing to happen. Jesus noticed the need for a solution to the wine problem , but also noticed the servants and gave them a task (not a particular easy one) so that they became part of the miracle. He noticed their need to be needed
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I have been considering the story of the wedding held at Cana, recounted in the gospel of John, chapter 2. There are many striking aspects to this story to ponder. One of them is the jars. They would have been large clay containers which would have to be filled and usually held water. Those jars were empty, were filled with water and then transformed. There was a space in the centre of these jars of clay. So there are challenges in this picture:
There is another story of jars and being filled: 2 Kings 4:1-7. The poor widow who only has one jar of oil. Elisha tells her to collect more jars from friends and neighbours and to keep on pouring oil. And it kept flowing
2 Corinthians 4:7. ‘But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.’ |
WhatsoeverThe posts are 'postcards' on my journey through faith and art. The name 'Whatsoever' comes from Philippians 4:8 in the Bible : Categories
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