We reckon that, the longer you live in a place, the harder it is for you to give clear directions to a visitor or newcomer. Very often you overlook some vital clues. You take too much local knowledge for granted. This can be particularly difficult for the visitor in country areas where sign-posting may be incomplete.
A few years ago in Buderim I had a funeral of a man whose daughter lived at North Arm. Basically, I had to head north up the highway, turn left at the "North Arm" sign, then right, right again (over the highway and the railway), sharp left after the railway bridge, turn right, then left (along a road whose name changed three times), diverge left into a no-through road… I arrived safely (with no detours!) to greet people I hadn't met before. It was a wet day and a gravel road, and I must admit that, as I went on and on, I was asking myself, "I hope I've got this right… Have I missed a turn somewhere?… Will I recognise the house?…"
When we lived in Childers, I also had responsibility for Howard. Our church organist and her husband lived in 60 Watkins Street. That was easy enough to find - just across from the church - but for visitors…? Not a street sign in the town! The locals - and the postie - knew it all! They got on very well without the signs. Very often, when asked where someone lived, their directions didn't include a street address - they didn't know it! I heard of strangers trying to find a street address and the locals would ask, "Who are you looking for?" With the closure of coal mines and the power station, Howard has become more of a retirement town. Probably it has sign-posts now.
Some people collect sign-posts. On a trip to Newcastle, we began writing down interesting and curious sign-posts. But there are people who take it much further than that. I recall seeing a house in Brisbane with a carefully preserved (and re-painted) tram-stop post in the front yard. And there are people who acquire railway-station name-signs when the line is closed down. Others too illegally souvenir road-works signs to add to their in-house collection.
I am not begrudging people their legal collectables. But I get worried at so much focus on the sign, when all the time it isn't to be there to look pretty. The real purpose of a sign is to point the way to, to draw attention to or to give information about something else.
Today's reading is about the first miracle Jesus did. When Matthew, Mark and Luke write about a miracle of Jesus, they mostly use the Greek word dunamis, meaning "power" - it is an act of divine power. John doesn't use this word, but instead calls a miracle semeion, meaning "sign".
In a variety of ways each of the miracles John records points the way to Jesus, draws attention to him and gives information about him. Miracles are important (just as we have longed for sign-posts at a number of intersections in the Burdekin). However, we have missed the point of signs if we simply become "miracle-collectors" instead of focussing our faith and life on Jesus himself.
John only recorded seven miracles of Jesus, but in 20.30-31 he wrote, "Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples [with particular reference to the time between resurrection and ascension], which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name". John was very specific. All these signs were pointing to the person of Jesus, saying something about who Jesus is - for the express purpose of leading people to faith in him.
The scene of today's Bible reading is the little-known town of Cana in Galilee. It is now identified with Khirbet Kana, about 14 km north of Nazareth (rather than the traditional Kefr Kenna about 8 km north-east of Nazareth). The miracle did happen. Either location is not far from Nazareth. Mary was invited. So were Jesus and his small band of disciples - only about five of them at this stage.
In those days a wedding celebration went on for several days - up to a week in fact. That represented a large financial commitment on the part of the bridegroom and on this occasion the wine ran out - quite an embarrassing problem for a town the size of Cana.
Mary approached Jesus about it, "They have no more wine." She seemed to expect that he might do something about it.
"Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied "My time has not yet come" (vv. 3,4). Jesus' question literally means, "Woman, what to me and to you?" - almost "What do we have in common?" To us that seems harsh, almost rude, but it was certainly not so. Leon Morris notes that "there is a new relationship between them as he enters on his public ministry... Jesus in his public ministry was not only or primarily the son of Mary, but 'the Son of man' who was to bring the realities of heaven to men."
Mary may have remembered the words of the angel Gabriel. "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end" (Lk 1.32-33) But Jesus seems to be saying that it is not the time to declare his true identity to the world.
The miracle did happen - quietly and unknown to any but the disciples of Jesus and the servants who filled the water jars. Anonymously, Jesus made a generous wedding gift to the couple who evidently were quite poor.
"This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him" (v. 11).
Jesus told Mary that his time (here, "hour") had not come. Later we hear him saying, "The right time (a different word, kairos) for me has not yet come" (7.6,8). It is only during his final week that we hear him praying, "Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that the Son may glorify you" (17.1,5). He was not referring to the glory of a miracle-worker, but to his death on the cross for the salvation of sinners. (Peter would also "glorify God" by a martyr's death - 21.19).
Jesus said, "But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself" (12.32). The time for revelation and for his final act of ministry was not what Mary thought - had she forgotten Simeon's words that "a sword will pierce your own soul too" (Luke 2.35)?
The glory Jesus revealed in this miracle was humble, self-giving, gracious, but not the final gracious self-giving act on the cross.
And the disciples saw the sign - and believed in him. They understood something more about Jesus and it reinforced their trust in him.
The question is: What do we do about the sign? We can admire it, be amazed, impressed… but we have missed the point if we don't believe in Jesus as a result.
What is it going to mean for us to "believe in him"? There are two elements not central to the story that can help us to remember. The stone water jars had no choice in the matter - they simply had to be available to receive. For us to believe in Jesus is to consciously choose and to depend on him in order to receive his redeeming grace in the forgiveness of our sins. It is to receive his Holy Spirit in order to apply his redeeming grace in the cleansing of our lives. The servants' faith was acted out in obedience. They couldn't turn water into wine. All they could do was fill the jars with water - and that was all they had to do. The little boy couldn't feed five thousand people, but he could offer his lunch! Again and again, the Lord expects us to obey, to do what we can - trusting him to do what only he can do.
Are you a sign-post collector? The sign reveals the glory of Jesus. Believe in him. Receive him in forgiveness and in transforming power. Translate faith into obedience - doing what you can do, so that he can do through you what only he can do.
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