Big Numbers

This morning I have suddenly become fascinated by big things. Not exactly of the ‘size matters’ kind, but the presence of impressive things, whether they be church budgets or nice vehicles or nice teeth or nice hair.  What would the watering hole or Tim Hortons or after church chinwags be without the “Wow” factors. Everybody likes to elicit the occasional big laugh or success stories or big connectors in conversation – some of course needier of those than others!

Today's occasion of discovery is Daily Prayer, a regular online Anabaptist somewhat Lectionary-based devotional guide. The gospel reading was John 2:1-11, the miracle at the wedding. After the reading there is always ‘silent or spoken reflections,’ a sacred time, nobody looking for big entertainment or debate here. Even so, today one of the group participants noted the huge amount of wine provided by Jesus. Six stone jars each containing twenty or thirty gallons would contribute to about 180 gallons of wedding hoopla, obviously more than needed for this occasion, no matter how we might visualize the excess! After the meeting (Zoom, by the way) that big image is still with me.

[First I must type in parenthetically. I cannot but express appreciation for this regular opportunity to participate in quiet and orderly prayer with any who wish to log in. It has been a life-saving gift to me! It may appear as contradiction to my last blog where I celebrate free flowing unscripted speech or activity among people gathered for worship. Here I cannot but register my gratitude for almost the opposite - regular unadorned Bible reading and quiet personal prayer. These prayer times are orderly; they're scripted and they're good! More should avail themselves of this opportunity. I am indeed a fan of free unscripted speech; but here hasten to add it’s important for this freedom to have its source deep in the stirrings of the soul. Those stirrings may well come up in the discipline of quiet prayer. If joy and conviction, then it must be shouted from the rooftops (eg Acts 4:20). I advocate for more of that hallelujah stuff especially in our staid slightly academic educated Mennonite circles (German circles, as Tony Campolo would say 😉 ). If, however, it be merely a cry for attention or inner restlessness then of course it’s better to shut up.]

Back to the topic at hand, the BIG things! What fascinates me about the gallons and gallons of wine is that it receives no explanation or effort to have it make sense to the ordinary reader. The water to wine incident is a context setter, setting the stage for what will follow many more times in the next several years of Jesus’ ministry. The wedding is an ‘important ordinary’ occasion among the people of Cana in Galilee. Here we encounter the first recorded miracle of Jesus, with the commentary going on to taste test. It's quality, not quantity. And the significance is not lost on the people, What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him (2:11).

Now, some later occasions of similar vintage. Jesus feeding 5000 comes to mind. This reminds me of my sister-in-law who undertakes immense catering projects – almost superhuman – singlehandedly catering to banquets or special occasions, baking hundreds of buns or squares or cakes. Grandchildren and neighbors will help out here or there, but it’s her project, her event.  And when it’s over it becomes the town conversation (at least the conversations she’s involved in) for the next week or so. It’s an ordinary thing but almost a miracle.

I think about Jesus (although sister dear would protest at so noble a comparison). Jesus’ ministry becomes huge in very ordinary settings. Somebody is born deaf or blind or mute; a child is convulsing or a woman has an issue of blood. Some of these things are of the type that would cause us to clap hands over mouth; certainly not the prayer requests that show up in church where we only hear about death and cancer, but no demon possession or mental illness, etc. Word gets out among the ordinary people that Jesus is not afraid; in fact he handles the big ones right alongside the little ones, and if need be he also feeds the crowds.

Something very ordinary and down home, and something hugely beyond our wildest imagination. Jesus came to his own, his own people, and in that context there were things he just did, because that is how a supreme rabbi might care for the people! His mother, kind of nervous and aware of the big mandate her son has from God, gets worried, “They have no wine” she says to him, and then micro-managing just like many good mothers she makes sure the servants get it right, “Do whatever he tells you”(:5). Jesus gets it; both the mother reminders (!) and the big assignment. A miracle is performed, the party continues. I love it.

Those miracles of Jesus, Big Number events which attracted more and more followers; and they happened right in among the Q and A times as he met people here and there, village after village. And of course there were Romans, and Samaritans (John 4)and Canaanites (Matt 15) - in other words more than just the home crowd. Big news has a way of doing that. This also gets the tongues wagging, questions raised especially from those who thought they knew it all, and of course the recourse to theories and explanations of many things, this leading to the crucifixion. Hmm, Jesus among the religious and the political. Election anyone? 😟

I’m wondering what BIG things Jesus is available still to do for us, things that the Messiah, the Christ, is here for. “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? (Matthew 7:9-10). More available than we might think. In John 16, towards the end of his earthly ministry, Jesus said to his disciples that although his departure was imminent, they would not be left alone. They will have the paraclete (the comforter), his Holy Spirit (:7). Big things. Little things. They happened, and available for us still.

Next time I hear one of these big convincing "wow" stories, be it science or coronavirus or environment or immigration or militarism or just plain bs, I will probably be thinking about this. Where might Jesus join the conversations? Of late I have poised that thought a few times. Interestingly people of other than Christian faith seem more interested in it than fellow born-again Christians! Among us Christians it moves into branding; who's brand are you wearing? And then we talk environmentalism or social activism or evangelicalism or liberals or conservatives or, most recently, vaxing or not. Inter-faith conversations, on the other hand, move right into it, Jesus by power of his Spirit here among us all! So very interesting, and also not as hard on the nerves.

Turns out this sounds a bit like a sermon. I’m okay with that. This is after all my blogpost, and my only promise at beginning of these blogs was to "say it as I sees it." 😊 This is my thought for the day.  

Also, along with this thinking - and this definitely no sermon - I do have a couple BIG prayer requests going. Pray that it may be so. Thank you for reading.