Is eating for pleasure a sin?

[wiredal]

I have recently been asked by a Protestant to explain why Jesus turned the water into wine, if eating and/or drinking solely for pleasure is a sin. He is trying to show that Jesus didn’t need to nourish the people at the wedding, therefore, he did it solely for their pleasure.

 

[Michelle_Arnold]

Eating or drinking something solely for pleasure is not immoral, provided one does not overeat or frustrate the food’s primary purpose of nourishing the body. If someone ate gluttonously or if he unnaturally eliminated the food from his system (i.e., bulimia), that would constitute a morally problematic action. So, Jesus providing wine for the pleasure of the wedding guests is not a problem.

That said, the miracle of changing water into wine was not solely for the pleasure of the wedding guests. It was also done because Mary requested it, to spare the bride and groom embarrassment, to inaugurate Christ’s public ministry (cf. John 2:4), and to manifest his messianic identity to his disciples (cf. John 2:11).

**Recommended reading:

Just Grape Juice? The Sober Truth about Biblical Wine** by Catholics United for the Faith