Turning water into wine

© Christy K Robinson
 

Looks like Jesus has been in Tesco again!

Jesus visited all the towns and villages in Galilee during his three-year ministry, and the Bible says that he healed everyone. The blind could see, the lame and paralyzed could walk, the poor-in-spirit (literally, asthmatics and those with breathing problems) could talk and sing and shout and climb stairs, the lepers sentenced to death were made whole and healthy as a chubby baby, the crazy people or those tormented by spirits could think and act rationally, the depressed were filled with energy and joy.

Jesus could turn a few baguettes or pita pockets with dried fish, into a satisfying sandwich for thousands, with baskets of leftovers to be collected for animal food.

His first recorded miracle happened when a days-long wedding celebration went overtime, the guests were flagging, and the beverages ran dry. His mother was confident that he could redeem the life of the party. So he had the huge water jars, used for ceremonial hand-washing or ritual bath water, filled with well water. When the jars were poured out, the best, most delicious wine of the week flowed into their goblets, and the wedding celebrations took on a second life. More dancing, more laughter, more family bonding, more friendships formed, more happy memories to take into the future. Story here.

When I saw the signage mistake in the image of the wine, I laughed. Maybe there was some guilt attached to my laughter, the fear of being sacrilegious. But it made me wonder: What if Jesus walked through the supermarket, and the bottled water spontaneously turned into wine? What if he walked past the meat coolers, and the meat became living creatures?  What if he went to the ice cream freezer, and made toffee-coated Klondike bars actually good for us, with negative 400 calories each, so they’re now weight-loss must-haves? He could! (I wish he would.)

What if you allowed Jesus to do something nice for another person, using your hands, feet, and heart? What if he inspired you to leave a random compliment on someone’s Facebook wall, or you called a friend or relative and invited them out for a coffee and a chat? What if you didn’t even state your intention, but you began regular prayer for someone? What if something powerful and positive came of your small act?

Endless what-ifs, and infinite answers—if they’re in the right hands. Miracles still happen.