Christ attended a wedding. What, then, was Christ’s concern
– what is Christ’s concern – in the weddings of his friends? We do
not read that he laid down the law to them at that time, or told them their
obligations – we read that he concerned himself with the supply of their
wine. It seemed a shame to him, if anything was lacking that could
spread abroad delight. The bride and bridegroom drank from the cup.
They passed it round, and their friends tasted the very flavour of their
joy. Christ would not bear to see the flow of happiness interrupted,
for lack of wine in which to drink it.
Does this surprise you? Did you not expect Jesus to be the servant
of natural delight, the abettor of warm-hearted pleasure? But have
you forgotten what Christ is? He is the desire of nations, he is
the joy of all mankind: he came to take away the cold religion of duty,
and to substitute the religion of delight. We are to do our duty
– yes, but we are to delight in it, for the love of our neighbour, and
for the dear love of God. There is nothing else but this, that we
can hope for in heaven itself – nothing but to do good unalloyed by any
meanness, and to do it with infinite delight. And how shall we be
able to do so? By feasting on the vision of a face, whose eyes are
the deep wells of happiness and love.
It is not surprising at all, then, that Christ should begin his ministry
at a wedding: for a true marriage is a special favour of God’s grace, and
a direct foretaste of heaven. God’s glory is reflected, for those
who truly love, in one another’s faces; they see the Creator shining through
his handiwork, and the vision inspires them with a simple delight in doing
one another good, and in furthering God’s will. Those who are being
married know what they want to do: and it is exactly what God desires them
to do. They do not, as the rest of us so often must, make themselves
care about the will of God: they do care for it: for they care for one
another.
