(though, of course, the servants knew)

Photo by Bgrace

"When the master of ceremonies tasted the water that was now wine, not knowing where it had come from (though, of course, the servants knew), he called the bridegroom over. "Usually a host serves the best wine first," he said. "Then, when everyone is full and doesn't care, he brings out the less expensive wines.  But you have kept the best until now!" 

John 2:9-10 NLT

Em and I are going through the book of John together in the mornings before school.  Today we learned about the Wedding at Cana.  I was trying to explain that the jars Jesus asked the servants to fill were way bigger than the flannelgraph piece made them look.  I explained there were 6 enormous jars that could hold about 20 to 30 jugs (like we buy of milk) each.  Anywhere from 160-180 jugs of water. 

Jesus had turned to the servants and asked them to take jars to the commercial grade kitchen sink, fill them, put them in the back of their catering vehicle and drive them back over to the place where they were serving...

Not exactly.

Jesus told the servants, "Fill the jars with water."

Where?  At the well?  The village well?

I'm guessing there's a whole lot of backstory here we don't see. 

180 gallons

Did he have any idea what was involved with all of that...and there was a wedding going on!

Why did He have to give them even more work to do? 

They must have felt every drop of that water they poured into those jugs.  They felt it hot on the sweat of their brow, strained in each of their arm muscles, and in the soreness of their back.  They were going to remember this water all night...and think of Him with every ache.

180 gallons

Then, he tells them to dip the cup in the jugs and take WATER to the Master of Ceremonies. 

What...so they can be the bearer of bad news?

Kill the messenger...is that his game?

Hold on a second...what did the Master of Ceremonies just say...the best wine saved for last?  What was going on here?  What just happened?  Could it be...?  It must be a trick.  But how?  They had painstakingly poured every drop of those 180 gallons of water into those jars.  By hand.  By their very own hands. 

They had been the ones to dip the cup in, take it from those very jars to the Master of Ceremonies.  There couldn't be any trick involved.  Their hands had seen to every drop of that water.  Was the Master of Ceremonies in on it?  But everyone else started enjoying the wine.  And there it was...dripping sticky and sweet on their fingers as they ladeled it out fast...the guests just couldn't get enough of this stuff. 

No one else was aware of what had just happened...probably no one would believe it.

But, of course, the servants knew.

It strikes me that the story of Jesus' first miracle shows the truth that Jesus talked about his entire ministry.

"But many who seem to be important now will be the least important then, and those who are considered least here will be the greatest then." Matt. 19:30

"And so it is, that many who are first now will be last then; and those who are last now will be first then."  Matt. 20:16

I wonder at what point the servants realized that Jesus hadn't used them.

That instead he had given them the opportunity to be used.

Perhaps it was simply a matter of perspective.

Perhaps it was a matter of faith.

Is it possible to see the sacredness of our service this side of the veil?

Every once in a while, we get to serve a miracle. 

Every once in a while, we find our toiled-for water has been turned to wine.

Every once in a while, we can see that it is worth our while.

God...give us faith for all the other days.