Isaiah 62:1–5; 1 Corinthians 12:4–11; John 2:1–12
There is a lot of talk these days about our rights and responsibilities, and rightly so. We expect to enjoy appropriate rights but we acknowledge that we also need to ensure, as far as possible, that others enjoy these same rights. Rights and responsibilities are crucial in developing the relationship between individual and society, quite a challenge for the modern western world with its emphasis on the individual.
Another way, a biblical way, of thinking about rights and responsibilities is gifts and commitment. The ‘theological’ value of this terminology is that it reminds us of God’s initiative: we receive appropriate gifts from God that enable us to become who we are meant to be and to play our part in God’s purpose for all of humanity.
The reading from Isaiah in the Second Sunday’s liturgy places emphasis on the commitment side of this nexus. A prophet is called and gifted by God to proclaim a message but, as more than one prophet discovered, it can be difficult to maintain faith in the efficacy of the prophetic gift when one meets rejection and disappointment. The prophet in Isaiah 62:1–5 vows to keep proclaiming Zion’s vindication even though there is no sign of it taking place (if so, no need for this text). In the opinion of many commentators, chapters 56 – 66 of Isaiah are a post–exilic addition that reflects the hopes and disappointments of those struggling to rebuild after the Babylonian exile. Whoever authored this text saw it as vital to keep faith in the promises for the ‘sake of Zion’ and its people, a small spec in the vast Persian Empire. There may not seem much sense of gift here but it is a vital ingredient for maintaining commitment.
In contrast, the reading from 1 Corinthians celebrates the gifts of the Spirit and their wonderful variety. Nevertheless, Paul reminds his readers that each gift is ‘for the common good’. In other words, these gifts are not just for oneself but also for the community and one needs to be committed to using them for the good of the community. Unless we do so we misuse the gifts and fail as human beings. That is, we fail to realise the fullness of our humanity as God intends it. The passage ends with Paul observing that it is the Spirit who allots the gifts. They may not turn out to be the gifts I wanted but they are the ones that will enable me to become fully human and to contribute to the building of God’s community. Our gifts empower us for the sake of God’s people but we will need all the help we can get from God’s people to identify the gifts bestowed on us and to use them wisely.
If the first two readings invite us to reflect on God’s gifts and the commitment that comes with them, the reading from John’s Gospel tells of God’s commitment to bestow gifts upon us. As John presents the story of the wedding at Cana, Jesus bestows a lavish gift on an impoverished party (‘they have no wine’) and thereby transforms it (‘you have kept the best wine till now’). On a rough estimate, using the current seven hundred and fifty ml per bottle measure, the amount of water turned into wine like no other is over nine hundred bottles. That’s a lot of wine for any wedding party: as well as being an extravagant gift, it may also be a sign of the enormous trust Jesus places in the guests to handle such a gift responsibly.
But, as any decent commentary on John will tell you, this story is also replete with allusions to the larger purpose of Jesus and becomes the first sign of his commitment to that purpose which is the gift of salvation for all humanity. What looks to be an unfortunate accident or omission on the part of the wedding party becomes an integral part of God’s purpose. In a particularly powerful theological move, John shows that human commitment and divine commitment become one in the unfolding of God’s purpose. Mary demonstrates a mother’s commitment both to the wedding party that runs out of wine and to her son ‘do whatever he tells you’. Jesus demonstrates a son’s commitment both to his mother, even though this is not his ‘hour’, and to his Father, whose glory he has come to reveal fully in that ‘hour’.