When Jesus turned water into wine at the wedding in Cana, the master of the banquet “did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew.” (John 2:9).

Many years ago, I heard a sermon based on this Scripture. (John 2:1-11).

The pastor noted that the master of the wedding banquet didn’t see the miracle. The people enjoying the wine didn’t see the miracle.

Only the servants who did the hard work of drawing the water saw the miracle.

So, if you want to see miracles, become a servant!

Similarly, the recently launched Webb Space Telescope needs to be in the right place in order to see the miracles of the universe.

Unlike the Hubble Space Telescope, the Webb Space Telescope does not orbit the Earth.

Instead, it’s gradually getting further and further from Earth until it reaches LaGrange Point 2–the place in space from which it can best serve the purposes for which it was created.

This location in space is aligned with the Earth and Sun in a manner that best provides solar power while also keeping the heat of the Sun from disturbing observations of cool, distant objects such as galaxies formed soon after the Big Bang.

This “place of service” is about a million miles from Earth. In comparison, the Moon is “only” a quarter of a million miles from Earth.

Why go so far away? Indeed, why not stay on the ground?

Because, if we stay on the ground observing through the atmosphere, our view is often spoiled by clouds, by atmospheric turbulence, by air pollution, and by glowing lights.

If we are going to see miracles, our view must not be clouded by troubles. (Matthew 13:21).

Our view must not be distorted by turbulent persecutions. (Matthew 13:21).

Our view must not be dimmed by worries. (Matthew 13:22).

Our view must not be ruined by the glow from deceitful riches. (Matthew 13:22).

Instead, we must view our lives, our communities of wisdom, our families, our businesses, our nations, and our civilizations from the best place where we can be a servant.

From the place of a servant, we will devote ourselves to serving and loving the one and only LORD God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our strength and with all our mind. (Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Matthew 22:35-38).

From the place of a servant, we will devote ourselves to serving and loving all other people by doing for them what we would want them to do for us. (Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 22:39-40; Matthew 7:12).

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In my book Visions of the Church (published together in one volume with my book Visions of America), I use the troubled—but ultimately triumphant—flight of Apollo 13  as the narrative thread to provide an overview of 2,000 years of Church history in a mere 80 pages.

The sermon mentioned in this blog was preached by Pastor Paul Toms, the senior pastor at Park Street Church, adjoining Boston Commons.

For more thoughts about the wedding at Cana, please read the chapter “Jesus Turns Water Into Wine” in my book Hoping in the LORD, at pages 95-96.

For thoughts about being a Suffering Servant, please read my blog “What Did the Prophets Say Concerning the Messiah?”.