ALIVE: Chapter 124 Replicas and Wine

Jesus and His apostles stayed up well into the night, stoking the fire and telling each other about what happened when they ventured out on their own to preach and heal, to multiply Jesus throughout the land. What was most curious was that instead of six accounts, one for each set of men, there were twelve. Each apostle had his own story to tell, and all the stories fascinated all the men. But they were more than stories about what happened, each man revealed his innermost thoughts and revelations about their abilities that far exceeded their confidence in themselves. Man after man asked Jesus how that could happen. Story after story pleased Jesus. It worked! He could be multiplied. With these stories, this was the first time that He and His Father witnessed the mitosis of the Son. This was the beginning of Christianity, of the whole earth generation after generation for thousands of years being covered with replicas of Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God. 

To the Apostles that night Jesus explained that by forsaking family and friends, even income to follow Him, they became more humble and pliable so God could use them. Just as they yielded to their own need for self indulgence, self sufficiency they were unconsciously overcoming ego and pride. This humility opened their souls to receive power from on high. It wasn’t magic; it was more like physics.

John spoke up, “Lord, You mean it is natural for us to overcome nature?”

Jesus smiled at John’s quick wit. “Yes brother. That’s right.”

One by one, the men dozed off that night exhausted from the trek back with minds spinning with the influx of wisdom until they were all fast sleep; the campfire too had dwindled out. The night was cool and dry. The air was still. Jesus was the last to sleep, only doing so after everyone else nodded off.

…

Not many hours later, without an ounce of sympathy for the exhausted men, the sun woke them up. Judas, Andrew, Thomas and Simon fought to stay asleep, but without success because besides the roosters, noisy squawking crows colluded with the rudeness of the sun. One by one, each man relented and stood up to fold his bedroll and start the day. 

Instead of retreating as He did every morning, on this morning Jesus was awake and present in the camp. 

“Jesus, do you ever sleep?” mumbled James, surprised that He was awake so early. 

“Maybe not!” teased Jesus. “How would you know?”

Jesus had the fire rekindled and one by one the disciples assembled to heat water for tea, or just warm their hands by the fire. "Well, here we are again.” said John. “What are we doing today? Where are we going?”

Instead of answering, Jesus started in with His teaching for the day. Then men heard Him and gathered around to listen closely.  “We have burnt sacrifices and we watch the animal be slain and cooked on the fire. We watch as the lamb or goat dies for our sins. We are given the commandments, but how much time do we spend to work on ourselves? To see our faults. It doesn’t help you to watch the animal die if you aren’t aware and sorry for what you did to deserve death. Starting today, I will take each of you aside one by one to counsel you. I want you to prepare for our talk by thinking about how you have broken the law, how you have offended God. Judas, you will be first. The rest of you go out and gather wood, except Thomas and Bartholomew, you two go into town to get food and come right back. We will stay here for a day or two more, until we are ready to leave.”

“Oh!  I forgot to tell you Jesus!” exclaimed Peter, “We saw your mother in Nazareth.”

“Good,” replied Jesus. “I was hoping you would. How is she?”

“She wants you to know that we are all invited to a wedding so You can see her soon.” 

“Where is it and when?” said Jesus.

Peter replied, “It is in Cana, on the third day of next week.”

Jesus was very glad about the invitation. He looked forward to seeing His mother again. With Joseph’s passing, and His departure He was concerned that she would be melancholy. A joyful wedding was just what she needed. “Perfect, that will give us time to do what we need to here, pack up and arrive in Cana.” said Jesus, pleased that everything was falling into place. The men were ready for the reward of a wedding feast. 

One by one, Jesus chose a man and they walked several furlongs to His secluded spot halfway up the hill. One by one the disciples descended the mountain changed. He was somber, he was more aware, he felt guilty, he felt grateful, he was ashamed of himself, he was shocked by what he learned about himself, he felt loved for the first time in his life. He was willing to die for this Man so awestruck was he by what he was told about himself as if Jesus penetrated his body and found his soul there and read it like a scroll. 

The rest of the day and the evening all was quiet at their campsite. No one was ready to talk. The men went about their chores preparing supper, keeping the fire going, some washed their dusty clothes in the nearby stream. In silence they ate and in silence one by one the disciple crawled into his bedroll and fell asleep.

The following morning when Andrew woke up, he noticed that Jesus’ bedroll was empty as usual.   Since all the counseling had been completed the day before, Andrew surmised that they would head off to Cana that day, so he started to pack up and told the others as they woke up. 

Jesus strolled in a short while later. Everyone was awake by then and waiting for direction, where they were going and by what route. 

“Good morning men. Did everyone sleep well?” said Jesus cheerfully. He was in very good spirits anticipating seeing His mother again and attending the wedding. 

A series of confirmations, “yup”, “yes,” “pretty good”…rifled through the air. 

“Okay, here’s the plan. Today we start out for Nazareth.”

“Will we walk all the way or can we get some mules? We don’t want to miss the wedding.” asked Thomas. Moving 13 men from place to place was an ordeal. 

“We walk. But today, after yesterday (referring to the counseling sessions) let us walk in silence.”

Two hours later they were all packed and ready to go. 

From their remote camp the group hiked through forests and desert plains, up and down hills and mountains. Water was precious and rare. This rugged path to Nazareth was perceived by each man in his own way, using his own references. For some, and I won’t tell you who, the trek symbolized his rough life, the pits that he had fallen into and crawled out of. For others it was nothing more than bitterness, obstacles to be resented. For one of them the dry and seemingly endless trek was as nothing, another day, neither to be shunned nor welcomed. This man lived in his spirit disentangled by earthly matters entirely. Each man wore his mind on is face. Each man learned something from the silence.  Living in such close quarters with so many others week after week took getting used to, and they were just getting started. No one knew how long they would be together, or what to expect. Each disciple took one day at a time. For the seasoned drifters among them, there were advantages to moving in a pack and letting others make the decisions for them, and to share in the search for food and shelter. 

(Reader: at this point STOP reading for several moments. Wipe your own mind of words. Be still. Be with Jesus and the disciples in their stillness.)

Three times they set up camp in silence. Three times they broke it down and headed back out in silence. Three mornings Jesus returned after His time alone with God. While the trek and the camping required effort, the absence of teaching in synagogues with the crowds and the healings was a kind of respite. Plus they looked forward to the wedding feast. It had been a few weeks since they had a big meal. And they had wine to look forward to. 

Jesus knew the way to Nazareth as if He had travelled the unmarked trail often. He was in the lead, so no one had any concern about being lost, even in the wilderness. How could that be? But it was so. Their train was a long one as each man walked alone with his backpack and his thoughts. 

On the third day, after the sun was in the highest, Jesus spotted His home town in the distance. When they were a furlong away Jesus broke the silence and asked His men to wait in a shady spot. He would go ahead and see His mother and find shelter for them. One after another of the disciples nodded, not ready to speak yet.

The men out of habit set up camp to rest, and pulled out the remains of their meager food. A few dried figs, some crusts of bread. Judas managed to have hoarded a smoked fish which surprised everyone. He took the first chunk and then passed it on. When Jesus was nearly out of sight Peter said, “Who is ready for a bath!” The men chuckled at the thought of such relief from their dustiness. John and James started singing, and the rest chimed in. The men started the celebration early. Even though they had been walking so far, the silence and the isolation from the crowds of sick and desperate people were welcome and much needed. 

…

Jesus arrived at His mother’s home and knocked on the door with His signature rhythm. Mary flung open the door and with great joy opened her arms to her Son. “My dear, You have been gone for so long! How I have missed you!” 

Jesus returned her embrace with His bear hug that lasted until she was ready to be released. “How has My dear mother been?” He said. 

“Please come, let’s sit down. I made a vegetable stew just last night, wash up while I set the table and we will talk. I know you came for the wedding. So glad that you got my message. How is Peter and that other one who came here with him? What is His name?”

“Judas mother.” 

“That one struck me as odd. Where did he come from?”

“Where did they all come from, My Father!” 

Mary smiled at her Son’s quick wit and accepted the empty reply as she scurried around to put lunch on the table. 

Jesus excused Himself to go clean up. He soon felt refreshed and changed His clothes with the set He left at home. 

At lunch He explained to His mother that they were now 12 disciples who were waiting for Him to tell them where they could stay. They discussed the wedding that they looked forward to attending. 

“We will dance!” she said cheerfully. It had been such a long time since either Jesus or His mother had danced. “Yes, that will be fun.”

“So tell me, where have you been and what stories do you have for me of your adventures my Son?” inquired Mary. 

“The world is suffering and hungry. I feel the Father’s joy from town to village. Mother, you can’t imagine the satisfaction that comes from healing someone. But we need to talk about where to put these men until the wedding. Do you think My brother John will put some of them up?”

“Yes, let’s split them up in fours, four here, four to John, You go there after lunch and ask him, and I’ll ask the widow Misha if she will put up four at her home. I’m sure she will. She has been lonely since her husband died.” 

“That sounds good. Thank you. Now you know why we camp out so much.”

And that is exactly how it went. John and Misha were happy to welcome the disciples who were good guests. Each home hosted four disciples, and Jesus rejoiced under His mother’s roof, which had been built by His grandfather Joachim and adorned by His grandmother Anna. He always felt their presence in that home, where He had learned the Torah from His grandfather’s books. 

Jesus and the disciples enjoyed the luxuries of sheltered life for several days before it was time to go to the wedding. There was no teaching, no healings. Nazareth had received as much as it deserved from the Lord, and even from the time Peter and Judas were there. This was a time just to be. Jesus to His men walked over to the workshop where His brothers the older sons of Joseph were in full swing. He loved the smell of the wood there and the craftsmanship. He missed Joseph His earthly father. What a kind and patient man He was. The brothers stopped work to welcome their guests. Jesus showed them around as if He still worked there. The disciples admired the craftsmanship, but couldn’t imagine Jesus as a carpenter. They only knew Him as a teacher. 

…

Cana was only a two hour walk from Nazareth and so all those who were invited from the town gathered together to form a wedding parade. Everyone was dressed in their finest, pockets holding shekels for the couple to begin their own household. Women were adorned with their jewelry and the children were clean and controlled. All the men walked in one pack, women in another and the pack of children between them. Chatter filled the air with sounds high and low. The elderly people and crippled rode on donkeys.

In Cana the townsfolk we’re glad that finally, after months of preparation, the wedding day on the third day had arrived. It was the day of all days, the one that hundreds of people in all the surrounding villages of Cana had been waiting for. The hosts were ready! It was time for feasting and celebrating, and so they did. A dozen lambs had been cooking slowly on the spit all night long, the bread ovens had been baking all day the day before. Vats of wine sat patiently, following the years-long process from being a bud of a grape to the cluster, ripening in the sun, being harvested only to be crushed, juiced and aged. The humble grape had been anticipating this festive wedding before the young lady and young man knew that they were made for each other. Sweet patient ready red wine. 

The wedding was held in the town square. The couple had known each other from childhood, both grew up in Cana. They were young and in love, ready to begin their life together. 

Women wept during the ceremony. Toddlers squealed and chattered, but the older children were quiet and respectful. The men waited patiently for the meal. Jesus and His disciples dispersed themselves throughout the crowd. 

After the ceremony everyone walked over to where the festive wedding feast was set up. It was outdoors, of course as no building could hold all of these people. Posts had been driven deep in the ground to define the area of the festivities, rows of tables, and a stage for the music and a large dance floor were constructed. The local people brought their own chairs and extras. The posts were used to hold up sheer white cloth for shade. The father, a successful merchant, spared no expense for his eldest daughter who had been his source of pride and joy from the day she was born. 

There was eating and carousing, dancing and chatter. From time to time the crowd joined the performers singing familiar songs. Mary was good friends with the mother of the bride, Sarah, from their school days in Jerusalem and was seated near the head table. When the food was all eaten up and the cakes gone too, the party wasn’t even near over. Everyone, including the musicians were having so much fun that it looked like the dancing would go on through the night. When darkness descended on the party, fires were lit to illuminate the scene. 

Mary who was standing with Sarah, overheard the head servant who approached her to say that the wine was almost gone; it wouldn’t last a half an hour. They didn’t know what to do. What was Sarah to say? She looked at Mary, for lack of an answer. Mary grabbed her fretting friend’s hand and said, “I have an idea. Leave it to me dear.” and then Mary looked authoritatively at the servant and said, “Bring some men and follow me.”

Sarah had no idea what Mary could do to solve this problem, but she had always known Mary to be a resourceful woman, even as a young girl, so she thanked the servant for the information and confirmed that they should follow Mary.

Mary winded her way through the crowd of people sitting and standing to find her Son. Jesus was also having a good time socializing. She spotted Him and went over and tapped His forearm. Jesus took the cue and excused Himself. He followed His mother to the edge of the party scene and put His ear close to her so He could hear above the din what she wanted to tell Him. The servants followed her but held a respectful distance. 

She said to Jesus, “They have no wine.” 

Jesus replied, “What? I didn’t hear you.”

Then she pulled Him farther away from the crowd and out of the periphery of the party and said again louder, “They ran out of wine!”

Jesus replied, “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me?”

Mary who was not put off by that reply gave her Son a hug and a peck on the cheek and then turned to find the servants and said aloud, “Do whatever He tells you.” 

Now standing nearby were six large stone jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each able to hold twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill those vats with water.” And they filled them up to the brim and returned dragging the heavy vats. He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.” The servant looked curiously at Jesus, and at the vat he had just filled with water. He looked around for a smaller vessel, and finding a pitcher on a nearby table went over and took it and brought it back to Jesus. Jesus dipped the pitcher in the vat and handed it to the servant. It was red! The servant nervously received the pitcher and went to find the steward. 

When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.” 

Relieved the steward told the servants to fill all the pitchers on the tables with this excellent wine. Which they did, so the festivities with dancing and merriment continued until dawn. 

In the morning the clean-up crew of servants found guests asleep on the tables. Even Jesus and the disciples and His mother did not want to walk two hours back to Nazareth, which they had anticipated. Sarah invited Jesus and His mother to spend the night at their home and each disciple fended for himself.  That was a wedding to remember!

No one but Jesus, His mother, Sarah, and the servants knew about the miracle, until the servants who had been involved spread the story the following day. Jesus and His mother and His disciples walked back to Nazareth after breakfast, and so escaped the spotlight. 

By evening, all the wedding guests had returned to their own homes and villages to sleep off the wedding party for a couple of days, while the servants were cleaning and chatting about the miracle. There was no wine left, but that didn’t matter any more.