And before the LORD your God, in the place that he will choose, to make his name dwell there, you shall eat the tithe of your grain, of your wine, and of your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and flock, that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always. And if the way is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry the tithe, when the LORD your God blesses you, because the place is too far from you, which the LORD your God chooses, to set his name there, then you shall turn it into money and bind up the money in your hand and go to the place that the LORD your God chooses and
spend the money for whatever you desire--oxen or sheep or wine or strong drink, whatever your appetite craves. And you shall eat there before the LORD your God and rejoice, you and your household.” ~ Deuteronomy 14:23-26 ESV
I fully understand the differences and implication of the Old and New Covenants and that this passage is undeniable a part of the ceremonial law within the context of the Old Covenant that Yahweh established with the nation of Israel to set them apart as his people so that they would be a blessing to all the nations that they had contact with.
Jesus, a Jew, living in the first century C.E. in the geographical region associated with the history of and tradition of the Jewish people and its cultural milieu was intimately aware of the Torah and the passage quoted above. It is my contention that the passage and the explicit principles of joy, celebration, rejoicing and worship all hold pride of place within the heart of God and as Jesus is the, “exact representation of the Father” he could not but help exude the Father’s heart for his creation to celebrate.
Regardless of the cultural climate of America in 2010 in which we live and the heritage of which we are either consciously or unconsciously affected by, it does not negate the biblical principle of the passage from Deuteronomy nor the lifestyle example of Jesus. If we are to be consistent with the orthodox Christian believe professed in all the ancient creeds that Jesus is God, then to not take seriously how he lived and that he stated, “if you have seen me you have seen the Father” we live a delusion of what the life is that Jesus came to bring and what he came to completely free us all from.
The specific words from the passage in Deuteronomy that caught my imagination are, “…spend the money for whatever you desire--oxen or sheep or wine or strong drink, whatever your appetite craves” I cannot help but wonder if in the mind of Jesus while at the wedding at Cana after his mother requested he help the wedding celebration continue by making more wine – that the heart of his Father for celebration did not overwhelm him. Perhaps even the passage from and principle from Deuteronomy passage came to his mind? He then not only makes wine but it is “the best” wine! Amazing! God the Psalmists tells us, makes, “…wine that gladdens human hearts…” (Psalm 104:15a).
Not surprising that later Jesus when confronted by his critics says this:
"To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other: "'We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not cry.' For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon.' The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.' But wisdom is proved right by all her children." (Luke 7:31-35 TNIV)
It is hard for me to conceive of Jesus not drinking and eating and celebrating life! To the degree that it is difficult for this to be imagined or accepted by evangelical Christians says more about their sensibilities and desire to sanitize and cage Jesus by their proclivities and prejudices and as a result obscure the reality of who and what Jesus was and is.
So…to prepare for the wedding feast and banquet with the Lamb at which time Jesus will, “…drink again of the fruit of the vine…” (Luke 22:18) go out with some friends and meet some new friends and begin to create communities and raise a glass of “…wine or strong drink…” and give thanks and rejoice the life, “the abundant life” we have because of our Savior.
As Tevye sings in the movie,
The Fiddler on the Roof:
God would like us to be joyful
Even though our hearts lie panting on the floor;
How much more can we be joyful,
When there's really something
To be joyful for.
To life, to life, L'chai-im!
L'chai-im, l'chai-im, to life!
It gives you something to think about,
Something to drink about,
Drink l'chai-im, to life! l'chai-im!In my mind the wedding in Cana was not all that different from the one portrayed in film
The Fiddler on the Roof and in some way, some mystical, mysterious way Jesus is at all weddings and at all places forever with us, for he is the ZOA – the LIFE!
TO LIFE L’CHAI-IM!
