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Sunday 31 October 2021

John 2:3 - They have no more wine

2:3

Weddings could go on for as long as a week in the culture of the time. The groom and his family were responsible for providing for the wedding. It was also an honour culture, and there would be great shame brought upon the family and the groom if things were not done properly. There is some evidence that it could even result in lawsuits! The wine was also alcoholic! There are some Christians who are very much against alcohol. There is nothing wrong with that in itself, but some get very silly and legalistic. The wine in the Bible contained alcohol. The Bible has many warnings against drunkenness which we do well to pay heed to, but it does not prohibit the drinking of alcohol. Now if an individual has had, or has, a problem with alcohol then it is very sensible, and honouring to Christ, for that person to abstain completely from alcohol. It may be that alcohol in a particular society is such a big problem that the church as a whole decides to have a no-alcohol practice. But we need to recognise that such decisions are pragmatic decisions, they are not moral decisions (in the sense of a direct command in Scripture). 

Anyway, Jesus’ mother informed Him that there was no more wine. She may have been hoping that He could or would do something about it, or it may just be that she was passing on information, with no particular agenda.


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