PURIFIED BY GOD-The Gospel reading for this Sunday is not only the first miracle in John’s Gospel—it is also John’s first mention of Jesus’ mother. We might find it odd that he addressed her as “Woman.” But in that time the word was more respectful; it could even be affectionate. Jesus does help, as his mother requested, but he does so in a way that is a lesson about God’s love. Jewish people in Jesus’ time performed purification rituals before eating anything. The cleansings were a sign that they wanted to be like God, completely free from sin. It came to mean that you could not approach God until you cleansed yourself. Jesus could have made the wine in bottles or wineskins. But he used the “six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings” (John 2:6). That meant that once they were full of wine, no one could wash themselves from the jars. In doing so, Jesus was making the point that no one can cleanse themselves. We don’t purify ourselves in order to come to God—we come to God to be purified. God is the only one who can make us holy. God never forces mercy on anyone, it is offered to those who ask for it. The abundance of wine, in fact “the very best wine” in the miracle symbolizes the extent of God’s mercy. Just as there was now more than enough wine for the wedding, God has more than enough mercy for those who need it. Wine is also a symbol of joy in the Old Testament. There is no greater joy than knowing that you have been forgiven by the Lord.