Perspective: Loosen Up

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Loosen Up

There is nothing better for mortals than to eat and drink, and find enjoyment in their toil.  This also, I saw, is from the hand of God; for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment?

Ecclesiastes 2:24-25 (NRSV)

Dance, then, wherever you may be

I am the Lord of the Dance, said He

And I'll lead you all, wherever you may be

And I'll lead you all in the Dance, said He

From "Lord of the Dance" by Sydney Carter

In the Gospel of John, we read that Jesus once attended a wedding celebration with His disciples.  At one point, His mother Mary, who was apparently one of the wedding planners,¹ came to Him and told Him that they were about to run out of wine.  Jesus agreed to help,² and Mary instructed the servants to do whatever He told them to do.  There were six large stone jars at the venue, and Jesus told the servants to fill each of the jars to the brim with water.  Once the jars were filled, He told them to draw some water from one of the jars and to take it to the chief wedding planner.  By the time the wedding planner tasted the water, it had transformed into wine.³

I suggested previously that there are no throwaway details in the Gospel story.  This is especially true of the Gospel of John, in which most, if not all, details are symbolic.  In this particular story, both the number of stone jars and the number of days that have elapsed since the event recorded previously are significant.  Also significant is the fact this story is the first of only two in John's Gospel in which Jesus' mother makes an appearance.

That said, I want to take a step backward and make a couple of general observations about Jesus' miracle.

First, the miracle is extravagant.  John notes that each of the six stone jars Jesus used to transform water into wine held up to thirty gallons.  Considering that a standard wine bottle holds seven hundred fifty milliliters, Jesus produced as much as nine hundred bottles of wine!⁴  Furthermore, we read that when the chief wedding planner tasted the wine, he was surprised to find that it was the better than any of the other wine that had been served at the wedding.  Typically the best wine was served first, and the cheap, inferior wine was served after the guests had already had a few drinks and had started care less about the taste.

Second, the miracle is subversive.  John points out that the stone jars were used for cleansing rituals.  People used such water jars to wash their feet before entering a house and to wash their hands before eating.  According to the religious scholars of the day, if one did not wash one's hands before each course of a meal, then one's hands were ritually unclean.⁵  The matter of ritual hand washing was a point of contention between Jesus and His critics.  In other Gospel accounts we read that, on one occasion, some of the religious leaders felt it necessary to ask Jesus why His disciples didn't wash their hands before they ate.  He responded to them rather harshly, saying that their priorities were out of order and that their hearts were far from God.⁶

In summary, Jesus repurposed some jars that were intended for ritual hand washing, which was very important to some people, to produce an abundance of vintage wine.  Perhaps one lesson we can glean from this story is that sometimes we need to loosen up - to stop taking everything so seriously and simply enjoy the abundant goodness of life.

One day, Jesus was asked why His disciples did not fast when others fasted.  Jesus replied, "You cannot make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them, can you?  The days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days."⁷  In other words, it is inappropriate to fast during a wedding celebration, to which Jesus compared His disciples' lives at the moment.  There are somber occasions in life when things like fasting are appropriate, but, for the most part, life is meant to be celebrated.

In Ecclesiastes, a king tells of his search for meaning in life.  He pursued wisdom, accumulated wealth, and made a name for himself, and he looked back on all he had accomplished and found that it was all utterly meaningless.⁸  He concluded that "there is nothing better for mortals than to eat and drink, and find enjoyment in their toil."  Perhaps it is better to pursue joy than to pursue meaning.  When meaning in life seems elusive, we can still enjoy the simple pleasures of life like food and drink, and we can choose to take pleasure in the work one has to do.

Sometimes we need to be reminded, amid the busyness and frustrations of our lives, that life is meant to be enjoyed.  I encourage you, the reader, to take some time in the coming days to slow down and enjoy the extravagant goodness of life.


Notes:

1. William Barclay.  The New Daily Study Bible: The Gospel of John, Volume One.  2001, Saint Andrew Press.  p. 112
2. According to the New Revised Standard Version, Jesus says, "Woman, what concern is that to you and to me?"  In most other English translations, Jesus says something similar.  Scholar William Barclay suggests that what Jesus said was an idiom that would be better translated as follows: "Lady, let me handle this in my own way." (Barclay, pp. 111, 114-115)
3. John 2:1-10
4. 6 jars x 30 gallons/jar x 3.785 liters/gallon x 1 bottle/.75 liters = 908.4 bottles
5. Barclay, pp. 115-116
6. Mark 7:1-13; Matthew 15:1-9
7. Luke 5:33-35 (NRSV)
8. Ecclesiastes 1:12-2:11

Miracle in Cana was painted by Vladimir Makovsky in 1887.

Introspection: Claimed and Loved

I share these thoughts hoping they are of help to someone else.

Comments are always welcomed.

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Claimed and Loved

Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove.  And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."

Luke 3:21-22 (NRSV)

Long lay the world in sin and error pining

Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth

From "O Holy Night" as translated by John Sullivan Dwight

As I noted previously, my focus for the year is cultivating a sense of self-worth.  My ultimate goal is to be able to say with conviction, "I am enough."  As I began to ponder the subject of self-worth over the last few weeks, I realized that, for Christians, self-worth is connected to baptism.  Baptism means many different things to people.  It is, for many, either a rite of initiation into the Church family or a public profession of faith in Jesus Christ.  I have come to believe that it has important implications for one's identity.

In Jesus' day, baptism was a sign of a person's repentance and commitment to change.  In the Gospel, we read that, when many people were turning back to God, Jesus joined them at the river and was baptized alongside them.  Jesus had no sin from which He needed to turn away, but He wanted to identify with the revival that was taking place at the time.¹  After Jesus was baptized, He stopped to pray, and, as He prayed, the heavens were torn open.  The Holy Spirit descended upon Him in the form of a dove, and a Voice from Heaven said, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."

I believe that, for Jesus' followers, baptism means what it meant for Jesus.  When we are baptized, the Church affirms for us what the Voice from Heaven said to Jesus, that we are beloved children of God with whom God is well pleased.  In other words, God claims us, loves us, and even delights in us.

For my first steps in my search for self-worth, I have adopted a couple of practices.

My first practice is contemplative.  I have started spending a few minutes during my morning prayer time meditating on an affirmation much like the one Jesus heard on the day of His baptism: "You are my child, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."  I meditate on this statement in order to counteract the proverbial tapes that play in my head, repeating, "Not enough."  So often I think that I do not do enough for people and that the reason must be that I am not loving, kind, or generous enough.  I hope that, by regularly reminding myself that God claims me, loves me, and delights in me, I will start to believe that I am enough.

Mike McHargue, known to the world as "Science Mike," suggests in his book Finding God in the Waves that meditating on God's love can actually reprogram a person's brain.  He writes,
In the case of people who meditate on a loving God, the idea of God becomes part of how they process reality - and this has profound effects on their behavior.  When you believe God loves you and loves others, it's easier to take risks to forgive people.  It's not enough to simply believe in God, because only prayer and meditation will turn that belief into a neural network that changes your outlook and behavior.  Even when the news cycle is depressing or a situation in your life seems hopeless, you can hold on to the knowledge that God is with you and that the overall arc of life will work out for the good.²

My second practice is tactile.  Today, the Sunday after Epiphany, is the day that Christians around the world commemorate the Baptism of the Lord.  On this day, Christians approach the baptismal fonts in their churches, dip their hands in the water, and remember with gratitude their own baptisms.  This is a day for us to remember that we are all beloved children of God.  Of course, remembering one's baptism is something one can do more than once a year.  Every Sunday, I pass by the baptismal font on my way into the sanctuary at my church.  I have decided to make it a weekly practice to remember my baptism by dipping my hand into the water and making the sign of the cross on my forehead.

Whether or not you are baptized, I pass along to you, the reader, the same affirmation I have been trying to internalize.  You are a child of God, whom God dearly loves, and with whom God is well pleased.  Consider the magnitude of this statement.  You are a speck on a planet called Earth.  Earth itself is but a speck in a galaxy called the Milky Way.  The Milky Way is a speck in the vastness of the universe.  The Creator of this universe claims you, loves you, and delights in you, a speck on a speck in a speck.

If that is not a reason to have some self-worth, I do not know what is.


Notes:

1. William Barclay.  The New Daily Study Bible: The Gospel of Luke.  2001, Saint Andrew Press.  p. 45
2. Mike McHargue.  Finding God in the Waves: How I Lost My Faith and Found It Again Through Science.  2016, Convergent Books.  p. 177

The photograph featured in this introspection was taken by Roger Sigouin and has been released to the public domain.  The author is in no way affiliated with this blog.

Epiphany Perspective: In the Details

I share these thoughts hoping they are of help to someone else.

Comments are always welcomed.

If you find these thoughts helpful, please share.

In the Details

On entering the house, [the wise men] saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage.  Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Matthew 2:11 (NRSV)

Glorious now behold Him arise

King and God and Sacrifice

From "We Three Kings" by John H. Hopkins, Jr.

As you have probably heard from a popular Christmas song, there are twelve days of Christmas.  Today, the day after the twelfth day of Christmas, is called Epiphany, which means "revelation."  On this day, the Church remembers that, as a child, Jesus was visited by some astrologers from Persia, often called Wise Men or Magi, who announced that a new king has been born.

In the Gospel of Matthew, we read that, when Jesus is no more than two years old, the Magi arrive in Jerusalem, announcing that they have come to pay homage to the newborn king of the Jews.  They explain that they have seen a particular star that signifies the birth of a king.  Their news throws the city into an uproar, and the current king Herod consults the religious scholars, asking them where the prophets predicted that the Messiah would be born.  They tell Herod that the Messiah is to be born in Bethlehem, King David's hometown, and Herod relays the information to the Magi.  The Magi head to Bethlehem, and the star leads them to a house, where they find Jesus with His mother.  They offer Him gifts of gold, incense, and myrrh.¹

Russian playwright Anton Pavlovich Chekhov believed that a writer should "remove everything that has no relevance to the story."  For example, he said, "If you say in the first chapter that there is a rifle hanging on the wall, in the second or third chapter it absolutely must go off.  If it's not going to be fired, it shouldn't be hanging there."²  Apparently, Chekhov was not a big fan of extraneous details in stories.

I mention what is known in storytelling as "Chekhov's Gun" because I want you, the reader, to consider that maybe there are no throwaway details in the Bible.  St. Matthew specifically names the three gifts of the Magi because each reveals something about who Jesus is and how His story will unfold.

Gold is a gift for royalty.  It is obvious that the Magi would bring such a gift, for they have come pay homage to "the child who has been born king of the Jews."  Decades later, many people will come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the descendant of King David who will be anointed by God to liberate the Jewish people from oppression and reign amid a new age of peace and prosperity.

Incense is something a priest would burn as an offering to a deity.  Christians believe that Jesus is both fully human and fully divine, making Him the perfect priest or mediator between God and humanity.  One early Christian theologian describes Jesus as a great high priest who enables us to approach God with confidence, because He is able to empathize with us and has overcome all of the struggles we face.³  Another thinker compares Jesus' example of self-sacrificial love as a "a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God," not unlike burning incense.⁴

Myrrh is the most ominous of the Magi's three gifts.  Myrrh was both a perfume used to prepare bodies for burial and an opiate.⁵  This gift points to Jesus' death by crucifixion.  According to one Gospel account, when Jesus was crucified, He was offered a mixture of wine and myrrh, which He refused to drink.⁶  According to another account, one of the men who prepared Jesus' body for burial had purchased a large amount of myrrh and aloe.⁷

Another story one might hear at this time of the year takes place when Jesus is almost a teenager.  In the Gospel of Luke, were read that, at twelve years of age, Jesus travels with his parents and a large group of pilgrims to Jerusalem to observe Passover.  As Jesus' parents head home after the celebration, they realize that their Son is not among their caravan.  They head back to Jerusalem and, three days later, they are shocked to find Jesus at the temple, listening to the teachers and asking them questions.  His mother asks Him, "Child, why have you treated us like this?  Listen!  Your father and I have been worried.  We've been looking for you!"⁸

Jesus replies, to His parents' confusion, "Why were you looking for me?  Didn't you know that it was necessary for me to be in my Father's house?"⁹

This is not just a cute story about Jesus as a precocious and slightly mischievous twelve-year-old; it is actually a foreshadowing of His death and resurrection.

When Jesus is twelve years old, He travels to Jerusalem at Passover with His parents and a caravan of pilgrims, and He stays behind after the celebration.  Twenty years later, He will travel to Jerusalem at Passover with His disciples and a crowd of His other followers, and He will be arrested and put on trial.

When Jesus is twelve years old, He is missing for three days before His parents finally find Him.  Twenty years later, He will be sentenced to death by crucifixion, and on the third day He will be raised from the dead.

When Jesus is twelve years old, His parents are shocked to find Him at the temple, and Jesus asks them why they were looking for Him, suggesting that they should have known where He was.  Twenty years later, His disciples will be shocked to see Him alive and well following His crucifixion, and He will ask them why they are frightened, suggesting that they should have known that He would be crucified and resurrected from the dead.¹⁰

When you read or hear stories of Jesus, I hope you consider the possibility that there are no extraneous details and ponder what great truths the small details might reveal.


Notes:

1. Matthew 2:1-12
2. Wikipedia: "Chekhov's Gun"
3. Hebrews 4:14-16
4. Ephesians 5:1-2 (NRSV)
5. Wikipedia: "Myrrh"
6. Mark 15:23
7. John 19:39
8. Luke 2:41-48 (CEB)
9. Luke 2:49-50 (CEB)
10. Compare Luke 2:46-50 to Luke 24:36-44.

Adoration of the Magi was painted by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo in the mid 1600s.  Jesus among the Doctors was painted by Heinrich Hoffman in 1884.