Readings: Isaiah 60 and John 2.1
What appropriate readings for a Ruby Wedding! It’s serendipitous that the readings this afternoon should be so apt, as they are the readings appointed for Epiphany and their theme is prophecy, its fulfilment and recognition. And, as we’ll see those are suitable themes for celebrating a marriage too.
Isaiah prophecy is about the near future; he is addressing the exiled Israelites in Babylon, but they know their release is soon and Isaiah can turn to Jerusalem and tell it to arise to meet its coming glory; restored to the returning exiles it will be a light which dispels the darkness covering the earth. The vision is of abundance, restoration and especially universal, international renown. This international aspect is of course realised in the story of the Magi and the Epiphany. Epiphanies, however, have two aspects; the showing and the perceiving. The Magi arrive and, improbable though it is, they understand what it is they have come to see.
John is also writing about arrival; the light which Isaiah talks about has come into the world and John’s early stories are about how it is recognised; the Signs are those by which Jesus reveals his glory. But the miracle at Cana is strange story, not least because, the true nature, or extent, of the miracle is not revealed, or only to the servants. Nevertheless the story is one of fulfilled prophecy; with Isaiah it shares the ideas of abundance in quantity of wine, of restoration and renewal, as the vessels bringing the new wine are those used for ritual purification- true religion is revealed as old rituals are transformed. We are missing the international aspect of Isaiah’s vision (unless you consider that amount of wine just about sufficient for a diplomatic party). But this is not a theme that seems to interest John; he perhaps did not know the story of the three wise men; he doesn’t, in fact, mention the nativity at all.
If John had told the Epiphany story, I think he might have emphasised that although it was Sign- similar to the other signs or miracles that he recounts, in that it revealed Jesus’ glory, but in a different way; the baby Jesus is entirely passive yet the Magi are drawn to him; there is a star, of course, and some heavy hints from the chief priests and lawyers but Jesus is not recognised by anything that he does, but simply for what he is. It is the willingness, the perseverance, the aspirations, and the perception of the Magi that are crucial.
Superficially, at least, John’s Signs are quite different; Jesus does do things; he heals a sick child, a cripple and a blind man, he walks on water and feeds five thousand with few loaves of bread, but as with the wine at Cana, it’s usually only a few that understand what is happening; recognition of Jesus remains a mystery to most, and it’s suggested most remain in stubborn ignorance.
This secrecy has a parallel in the Messianic secret which we find in the other Gospels; Jesus is reluctant to reveal who is to everyone, despite the hugely popular and sensational events of his ministry. Why he should do so and how John is apparently dealing with arcane mysteries may seem to be academic questions; quite interesting, intriguing even, but not really important in terms of understanding the Good News. But I think they are relevant to the way we approach the Gospel; they do tell us something about how we may recognise Jesus’ glory.
Prophecy is about wish fulfilment in the same way that salvation will depend on the circumstances of the saved. For the Israelites in Babylon, restoration of their statehood, prosperity and prestige and the rebuilding of their capital city were the dominant aspirations. While salvation for Isaiah is mostly on a national level; it is the people of God who will be saved, in the Gospels the emphasis is on the individual; salvation is sight for a blind man or speech for a mute one. There is usually a moment of personal encounter and recognition at the centre of every miracle; beyond that nucleus, the crowd around don’t take much in beyond the sensation. It is as if we recognise only so much as we really wish to, or are ready to see. At Cana the implication is that the wedding guests were not ready. “My time is not yet come”; but there are few hints as to how and why.
We heard only the first part of Isaiah chapter 60, had I read on you would have heard how the new Jerusalem becomes itself, its walls, towers and gates, a symbol of Peace, Salvation and Righteousness. For Isaiah Righteousness, the understanding and the living out of a right relationship with God is the central condition for salvation.
I think the recognition of Jesus is much the same thing. We are often told in the Gospels that all that is needed is to see Jesus as the son of God. Have you ever been troubled, as I have, about what this really means? I sometimes feel like saying “Yes, but so what, what am I supposed to do about it? When, however, one sees this as righteousness, as the understanding of one’s relationship with God, that is understanding that one is loved, forgiven and so fully human, and even a bit divine too, with all the privileges and obligations which that entails, then recognising Jesus for what he is takes on a dramatically new light. It is that recognition which will show us what our prophecies should be, and give us the power to realise them; the power to understand and bring to fruition our deepest and truest desires; to be who we are meant to be.
That is, I think what the Magi understood and it’s what we can see but find hard to understand, because along with the privilege and the joy there is a huge challenge.
One of the ways we may come near to this experience, and a way which prepares us for the real thing, is falling in love. That is the experience of being totally free because bound to someone, usually, but sometimes something, which can love us back unconditionally. With luck it will convince us that the only life we can lead must be through that commitment, whether to a person or a promise, and that out of that love and commitment (they are by this time impossible to distinguish) new life may come in all sorts of forms. The most obvious (but not the only) form of this experience is marriage and the new life is, with God’s grace, children, and much more. But a marriage, conventional or metaphorical, is only a paradigm or an exemplar of the salvation we may find, if we can recognise who we are and where stand with God. That recognition will show us too the prophecy which we can each hope to see fulfilled. Amen.