A Wedding in Cana
“Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come" (NRSV. John 2:4). Jesus’ answer and attitude seemed cynical, even rude, to his mother, Mary. Why was he so annoyed with her?
Weddings are among the most joyful events in human society. Mary was invited to a wedding in Cana of Galilee with Jesus. However, when Mary found that the host had run out of the wine, she told Jesus, "They have no wine" (v. 3). A wedding banquet without wine would have been very embarrassing for the host. While we don’t know the relationship between Mary and the wedding party, it seems obvious that she wanted Jesus to “fix” the situation, but Jesus wasn’t interested—for his thoughts seemed to be on important future events, not on the short sightedness of the party’s host. Mary must have had no idea why Jesus was uncomfortable at the party. However, as soon as she heard Jesus’ response, she reacted quickly. She told the servants, “Do whatever he tells you" (v. 5). Her reaction is awkward to me for two reasons. First, Mary was a guest and therefore did not have authority to give an order to the servants. Jesus was also a guest and Mary could not confer authority to her son. Then, Jesus ordered the servants, "Fill the jars with water" (v 7). What he said should have seemed ridiculous, but surprisingly, the servants obeyed his order.
However odd the story may appear, there is one significant truth that we should not ignore. It is the transformation of Jesus’ own perceived position from a guest to the One through whom miracles are created. The Scripture does not tell us why or even if Jesus changed his mind. The water in the jar turned into wine (v 9). The Bible witnesses that this is the first of his signs and thus revealed his glory (v11). Jesus went from a position as one guest of many of an ungracious host to the provider of hospitality to all who were at the wedding dinner. His action of supplying the finest wine demonstrated his concern for offering true hospitality.
Biblical hospitality makes everyone feel at home. The place does not need to be cleaned or have an abundance of food; just letting the guest feel at home is the best hospitality. Furthermore, the Bible witnesses that, when people feel at home, a miracle can happen. I believe that anyone can feel at home in the church, regardless of gender, culture, age, class, and even religion. The church should be ready for the miracle. This is important for church growth. When someone visits your church and is treated as a stranger until he or she leaves, there is little likelihood of seeing that person again. The growth of a church, in terms of both size and the maturity of the members, depends heavily on the sense of hospitality that visitors receive as they enter the church for the first time. If their first impression is negative, the church must seriously rethink how newcomers first perceive them. One major reason for church stagnancy is that many churches have forgotten the meaning of true hospitality.
It is true that many mid- or small-size churches in America have been experiencing financial difficulty for a couple of decades, due to their falling membership. The churches, in response, began to rent their facilities to business groups in the area. With this strategy, the churches could balance their budgets. However, this method of increasing income proved a dilemma. Renting out the church building restricted its usage of its own space. The more space the church rents out, the more difficult it is to conduct their own programs. The fewer program(s) the church offers may result in more members leaving the church. This cycle can be a death knell to a church. Instead of a place of worship, the church may serve more like a Town Hall or YMCA—and not a church. In Europe, it is not surprising that most of the big churches built in the Middle Ages have already been popular landmarks that travelers never skip. The major income for these churches is not from member offerings but from the travelers’ entrance fees. Not only is this true in Europe, but many American churches are renting out their spaces to business groups like a nursery school or children’s center. The secretaries in the church offices have to manage the schedule of the renting groups rather than attending to the churches’ programs. Even though this sharing of a church building may seem unavoidable to many churches, we, as Christians, need to recall that Jesus drove the merchants out of the Temple of Jerusalem, saying, "Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace" (NRSV. John 2:16b)!
At this point, what kind of solution can we find to break through this dilemma? How can we keep sharing with businesses to balance our budgets, while simultaneously keeping our churches from being corrupted as business organizations? In other words, how can we keep our churches from falling into a vicious cycle?
On September 2012, Long Hill United Methodist Church in Trumbull, CT, was full of joy and celebration at their International Festival. Over one hundred twenty people with a variety of cultural backgrounds filled the church hall and proudly shared their traditional outfits, food, and talents. Diversity was one of the outstanding points that made this festival spectacular. Six different cultural groups: Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, American, and Indian joined this festival. One more important fact is that all these groups were the renters of the church. When I was appointed to Long Hill UMC in 2010, I was surprised that so many groups had been sharing the building for years. However, there was no communication or interaction between the church and the renters. Despite the diversity of the groups occupying the building, the church itself was isolated from the community. Since the church always regarded renters only as tenants and the renters thought of the church only as their landlord, there was no sense of hospitality between the two.
The first work that I did was to introduce a sense of true hospitality through my sermon series. I explained to the church that America is rapidly becoming more pluralized and globalized. The church began to realize that if it cannot be prepared for diversity, it will have no future. I also preached on the true meaning of hospitality. They understood that the best hospitality is to make everyone feel at home. I did not forget that I needed to emphasize that the renters are not only our tenants but our neighbors and friends. The second work I focused on was to hold meetings with the heads of each renting group. Through these meetings, we could communicate with one another, sharing what we really needed to improve or discover. The third week we planned an “International” Night, with everyone in the church. It was a success! Afterward, the church members began to understand the true meaning of hospitality and the joy of participation!
Several changes followed that night. The church became cleaner and safer. As soon as all felt ownership of the church, they would not pass by garbage on the floor without picking it up. They also never left the church unlocked. The church became their church. It was a real and profound change. When both the tenants and the members felt ownership of the facilities, the change in attitudes toward one another resulted in more security, a safer environment, good relationships, and a friendlier atmosphere. They had all become the Masters of the church. They began to advertise about the church to their neighbors and friends. The church members also became accustomed to diversity much more than before.
Let us remember that nothing miraculous can be expected to happen, as long as Jesus is sitting waiting to be invited to participate as the host of the party.
