All In

 

I love it when the Bible becomes a comedy show.  Usually, it is one line that we might miss because we tend to read the Bible with a frownie face rather than searching for the folly of faithfulness.  I love the Headwaiter’s or Steward’s response in John 2.  You might remember from Monday that the punchline of the story is when the waiter exclaims, “This wine is delectable. Why would you save the most exquisite fruit of the vine? A host would generally serve the good wine first and, when his inebriated guests don’t notice or care, he would serve the inferior wine. You have held back the best for last.”

 

The subtle, almost subversive sacred invitation here is, God doesn’t play by our rules.  The waiter lays out the normal expectation: serve the good stuff first, and then, when everyone is a bit toasted, you can bring out the Mogan David and 2-buck-chuck.  Even in Jesus’ day, hospitality had boundaries and limits.  But here, Jesus is thinking, “Fine, if I am going to change water into wine, let’s go all in.”  That is a metaphor for God’s love.  God goes all in with you and me.  God doesn’t cut corners or hold back.  God continually offers the unconditional and unceasing grace that fills us with the deliciousness of the divine.  As we approach Valentine’s Day, where have you tasted the goodness and holiness of God’s love in your life?  Perhaps not in some spectacular way.  God’s love can come in beautifully ordinary ways.  May you and I continually be open, willing to be surprised by the sacred that shows up in ways we cannot predict, but can present us with a love we need now more than ever.  Amen.