Why Jesus turned water into wine

I’m always on the lookout for commentary beating biblical insights from ordinary Christians – particularly from rural Africans. Here is a great example from my the latest newsletter of my sister Brenda and her husband Ben who are working with the Fulani in Mali. [While discussing a marriage that needs divine intervention.:

. . . “Well, I’m not a pastor, and I’ve never been to school,” Amadu replied, “but this is how I see it. We Fulani have a lot in common with Jews. Weddings are a big deal for us. Our neighbors will notice how many wedding mats were used to decorate our marriage hut and how much money each of the guests gave us. It’s a happy time, but also a risky time – people will talk about your wedding for the rest of your life, both in front of you and behind your back. If anything goes wrong, it will bring shame to you and to your whole family. You may never be able to live down the disgrace.”

“In the Linjilla [Gospel], Jesus was a wedding guest, so it wasn’t his job to make sure the wedding party was a success. But he had pity on the bride and groom because he knew that a shameful start could derail their marriage on its first day. Also, not only did Jesus provide more wine, but the wine was of such high quality that it gave the guests something good to talk about for years to come. It brought honor to the whole family instead of shame.”

Application: . . . Only Jesus can provide them with a love that is like the wine he gave the wedding guests, of such high quality that it will remove their shame. It takes a miracle like that one to allow husbands and wives to truly love each other and to turn their shame into honor.”