Big Picture

"When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, 'They have no wine.' And Jesus said to her, 'Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.' " - John 2:3-4

Every time I hear this passage, I'm taken aback by Jesus saying "how does your concern affect me?", a more polite way of phrasing "So?". I'm reminded of my kids, when telling them something I think is important (like "the trash is full"), and them giving me a similar response. And from Jesus' perspective, running out of wine was the least of his worries - in fact, he fast-forwards (without anyone realizing it) to his eventual death by saying "My hour as not yet come". Which is obviously way more important than taking out the trash...

But for the people of Jesus' time, running out of wine at a wedding was a big deal. And with some assistance from his mom, he decides to pitch in and help, by changing jugs of water into wine. His miracle is a big hit - impressing the headwaiter and confusing the groom when they find out the wine is better than the stuff they served earlier.

For Jesus, this ends up being a win-win. Not only does he help make the wedding a success, he impresses a number of people so much that they want to start following him. In essence, his first disciples. There will be many more to come - some staying on for a short time, chased away by the thought of how much they have to change - and others sticking around until after his death and resurrection, becoming the founders of the faith.

So while Jesus was initially thinking about the big picture, he also learns that "little" things - like changing water into wine - go a long way in sparking a fire within the souls of those around him.