Daily Devotion

John 2:11
Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

One of the stories we often read in the season of Epiphany is the wedding at Cana. It’s the first miracle or “sign” that Jesus performs in John’s Gospel as he enters into his public ministry.  It’s interesting that this is how Jesus makes his grand entrance onto the scene. Not with fanfares and dazzling light shows, but at something as ordinary as a wedding reception, quietly using ordinary water and everyday stone jars to turn water into wine.  Hardly anyone even noticed what happened.  But the disciples knew what Jesus had done, and the result is that they “believed in him.” 

Today I want to share a reflection on this story from one of my favorite writers and artists, Jan Richardson. She has written many inspiring devotional books—you should check her out!   This is found in her book, Wisdom’s Path.

Jesus knew that from the ordinary, the extraordinary comes.  To heal a blind man, he used dirt and spit; to feed the multitudes, he used common bread and fish; to speak of God he used yeast and seeds.  He knew the truth of how the mundane gives way to the miraculous; fill enough jars with water, one of them might turn to wine.

Richardson then ends her reflection with this powerful poem:

And You Said

Where there was no wine
there was you
and you said drink,
and there it was,
startling and sweet

And where there was no bread
there was you
and you said feed one another
and there it was,
filling and strong

And where there was no love
there was you
and you said touch,
and there we were,
our hands looking like yours.

From Pastor Heidi again---never forget that you are among the ordinary things from which God can do extraordinary things….