0:00
The Chibi News Daily Reflection
0:05
Hello and welcome to St Andrew's Wimbledon, the Anglican parish where I serve as vicar
0:11
When politicians are about to run for office, or a CEO is ready to launch their product publicly
0:17
they carefully stage manage every last detail to maximise their impact. One scholar when he was studying the Gospel according to John decided this stuff couldn't be made up
0:26
Why? Because Jesus' first public event is so ordinary and unstaged. He's at a wedding. We don't know whose, we don't know why's
0:34
But the social disaster of all disasters is about to unfold, especially in that context
0:39
The wine ran out. This failure of hospitality would cast shame on the couple in their community forever
0:48
Jesus turns the water into vast quantities of wine, 800 bottles of the best stuff
0:54
The master of ceremonies is blown away. who saves the best till last? Jesus doesn't even take any credit for what he's done
1:02
Why does Jesus do this there? The writer of the Gospel tells us this was a sign
1:08
a signpost telling us who Jesus is and what he came to do
1:13
The life he offers is one of abundant joy, like a party, like a wedding, an unbreakable relationship
1:21
Ultimately, that will take him all the way to the cross, where he pays the tab on the ultimate wedding banquet there
1:29
I don't know about you, but if you think that Jesus has come as a killjoy or to shame and condemn
1:34
this first sign is the perfect event by which he launches himself onto the stage of history
1:39
taking away the shame not just of that couple, but for the whole world
