From A Quiet Table

“When the steward tasted the water that had become wine and did not know where it came from, the steward called the bridegroom.” – John 2:9

Imagine you’re the headwaiter at Cana’s wedding reception. You love the way people let loose after a wedding, the corny songs and elderly parents dancing with their adult children. The little kids in cake-stained dresses and tiny tuxedos chasing each other across the dance floor. You love these parties.

So when you realize that the wine is about to run dry before the fun has really started, you get an empty feeling in your stomach.

Behind the scenes Jesus asks a few bus-boys to fill six ceramic jars with water. “Take some to your boss,” he says. When you taste the abundance you’re relieved.

Then you get back to work.

You don’t know Jesus has just worked a miracle. You just know the day is saved. The bride and groom aren’t concerned with the wine’s origins, they’re just glad to have it. The band strikes up. The dance floor fills. The partygoers don’t know they should be grateful. Jesus is just another face in the crowd.

We’ve all been guests at Cana’s wedding, unknowing recipients of quiet miracles. A car once veered away before you even knew you were in danger. A tree once burst into perfect color the exact second you walked around the corner to see it. A friend once forgave you and you didn’t even know you’d hurt him.

Jesus is always working wonders, saving days, rescuing relationships. And more often than not, he does so silently, anonymously, from a quiet table in the back of the room.

Prayer

Dear God, thank you for wonders we are unaware of. Amen.

About the Author
Matt Fitzgerald is the Senior Pastor of St. Pauls United Church of Christ, Chicago, IL.