Weddings, Wine, and Family

AM Psalm 88 • PM Psalm 91, 92
Judges 9:1-16,19-21 • Acts 4:13-31 • John 2:2-12

Confession— After reading through our appointed readings that range from Sheol to quarreling relatives to a wedding feast short on wine, I wondered how I could possibly make sense of it all for my friends at St. Paul’s. Then I drew a complete blank on the identity of the Sons of Korah (Psalm 88). So, yes, I had to do some homework. (Bear with me as I share a bit of what I learned.) I found the prologue to our readings in Numbers 15-16.There we learn that a man named Korah gathers together 250 or so people to wrest leadership from Moses. For his efforts, Korah is swallowed up in a sinkhole. Some of Korah’s descendants (“sons”) however, gave glory back to the Lord as evidenced in the words of Psalms 91 and 92 in which they use their talents more suitably in service to, not against, God.

Once I had this background, the other pieces fell into place, well at least thematically. The major themes that emerged for me are:

1.) The ordinary can be extraordinary. It just takes being “shaken” by the Holy Spirit. In the selection from Acts, some from the upper class of Sadduces marvel that “uneducated” and “untrained” Peter and John preach so well. Out of apparent jealousy and probable fear, they command that Peter and John quit preaching. “Just can’t help it” respond Peter and John: “we were shaken and filled with the Holy Spirit.” Right on cue all who are gathered around Peter and John and the Sadduces are shaken and filled with the Holy Spirit.

2.) Neither force nor underhanded craftiness work. Consider what happened in Judges to the tribal kings of the “hill” and low country beyond Jordan. The Hittites, Amorites, and Perizites gang up on Joshua to best him by both might and craft. I start humming again “Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho.” My singing is tempered by my realization that Israel is being ruled by Judges because the “ holy nation” at this point was corrupted by idolatry.

3.) But a new order is emerging, as indicated by Jesus changing the water in the ceremonial Jewish water jugs at the wedding In Cana. I was also struck again by the fact that Jesus does exactly what his mother tells him to do, even though he is reluctant (John 2:4). Once again the ordinary is transformed into the extraordinary.

Written by Karen Hodges

...who is grateful for all she is learning as a result of writing a Morning Reflection periodically.