Today is the last day of our focused attention on purity. To be honest, I was not very sure what to expect this week. But what the Lord revealed was much more than I could have imagined. Purity is a more a state of being, than an action. To enter in, we must go through the cleansing process. Do you feel that you have been sitting at the Table and are waiting for the next course? Maybe we just need more wine… I am not so sure that is the solution.
Can I share one more thought about John 2:1-11? It is a one liner that is so profound. “When the headwaiter tasted the water which had become wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom…” (2:9, NAS). Look again. Read the words between the parentheses – “but the servants who had drawn the water knew.” Once again, John is intentional about his wording. I do not believe that he was carelessly inserting this fragment. So what was he saying?
First, who were the servants? Most of the time, I read the word ‘servants’ in scripture and pay not attention to it. I have developed a sense of biblical ‘right’ and ‘wrong’. But understand that the servants played a significant role in Hebrew history. Consider Numbers 31 as we think about the servants in John 2. After going to war against the Midianites, the priest Eleazar and Moses were instructed to divide the plunder into two parts: one part to the men of war and the second to the congregation. Then they were to “levy” a tribute on the soldiers that required them to offer up a small portion of their spoils of war. This was called the heave offering. “The persons were sixteen thousand, of which the Lord’s tribute was thirty-two persons” (vv. 40). This gives us some insight to into the history of servant-hood in the ancient Jewish culture. Isn’t it interesting that the people who served in the Sanctuary were primarily from pagan cultures? Ok, fast forward. Mary said to the servants to listen and do whatever Jesus told them to do. So, there were servants at the wedding feast. Why? Where did they come from? Could they be generational servants? Are you making the connection? Now, the master of the feast drank the wine and did not know where it came from. He did not really even care; he was just happy that the party would go on. But… the servants knew where he came from. Why was that so important to John, that he would include that in his depiction of this story?
Maybe he was implying that the servants did take notice. Or maybe, he was making an additional reference to the teaching of Jesus, “Those that wish to be first must be last…” In this position of service, a person would be the lowest of all guests; but they were the only ones that knew from where the miracle of wine came from (besides Jesus’ mom, and His disciples). How significant!! Perhaps our take away is that people are watching. Our motives, our actions, and our words are all elements that point to the maker of wine – life. Perhaps we are to remember that to be first, we must be last; only there, in that humble position, will we be able to see what is truly going on.
“Bless our eyes and our hearts with your truth. May we act in a way that reveals your love and nature. Amen”
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