My teetotalling fellow Christians still choke at mention of Jesus’ first miracle at the Cana wedding feast.
Especially where the chief steward chides the bridegroom for saving the best wine as he points out that the guests are already too squiffy to appreciate its quality.
Yes, it’s hard to square that final fact with any sort of non-alcoholic beverage. The text does say (in the RSV) “when men have drunk freely,” so perhaps the women weren’t getting smashed. They probably had to be functional to continue taking care of household tasks and children.
The first miracle of Christ a Cana shows the importance of a couple of things to me.
First, the importance of weddings and marriage and family.
Second, the importance of intercession — remember it was Christ’s mother who said to him, “They have no wine.” After his reply, she then utters her last words in the Bible: “Do whatever he tells you.”