ld be glad of fewer guests, for I hear the wine has given out."

"What matters it to me if there's no more wine," answered Jesus, almost
roughly. "I do not want any."

"But the other guests do. The host is greatly embarrassed. I wish
someone could help him."

"If they are thirsty, have the water jugs brought in," he said. "If
the drinker has faith in his God then the water will be wine. He will
be well content."

The host, in fact, saw no other way of satisfying his guests' thirst
than in ordering large stone pitchers of water to be brought in from
the well. He was vastly amazed when the guests found it delicious, and
praised the wine that had just been poured out for them. "Usually,"
they said, "the host produces his best wine first, and when the
carousers have drunk freely, he brings in worse. Our good host thinks
differently, and to the best food adds the best wine."

But Jesus and his relations saw how the pitchers were filled at the
well, and when they tasted their contents, some declared that things
could not be all right here. Jesus himself drank, and saw that it was
wine. Much moved, he went out into the starry night. "Oh, Father!" he
said in his heart, "what dost thou intend with regard to this son of
man? If it is thy will that water shall be turned into wine, it may
then be possible to pour new wine into the old skins, the spirit and
strength of God into the dead letter!"

John went out into the night to seek his master. "Sir," said the
youth, when he stood before him, "what does it mean? They say that you
have turned water into wine. I have often thought that you were
different from all of us. You must be from Heaven."

"And why not you also, John, who look up to it? Can anyone attain the
height who has not come from it?"

John remained standing by his side for a while. It was not always easy
to grasp what he meant.

On their homeward way by night, the mother unburdened her anxious heart
to her son. "You are so good, my child, and help people wherever you
can. Why are you often so rough of speech?"

"Because they do not understand me," he replied; "because you, none of
you, understand me. You think that if a man works at his wood in the
carpenter's shop, then he's doing all that is necessary."

"Wood? Of course a carpenter has to work with wood. Do you want to be
a stonemason? Think, stones are harder than wood."

"But they give fire when struck together. Wood gives no