Whatever He says to you, do it

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine." Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come." His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it."

Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. Jesus said to them, "Fill the waterpots with water." And they filled them up to the brim. And He said to them, "Draw some out now; and take it to the master of the feast." And they took it. When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. And he said to him, "Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!" This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.

After this He went down to Capernaum, He, His mother, His brothers, and His disciples; and they did not stay there many days.

- John 2:1-12

Yesterday, we read about Jesus meeting yet more disciples. The day before, we read about His meeting with some disciples of John the Baptist: the brothers Andrew and Peter, and the author of the Gospel. The next day, Jesus wanted to go to Galilee. He found Philip and told him, "Follow Me." Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote -- Jesus of Nazareth; the son of Joseph." And Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." Jesus saw Nathanael and said, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!" Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." Nathanael called Him the Son of God, and King of Israel. Jesus said, "You will see greater things than these." And He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. This is the third day from Jesus' meeting with His first disciples. And there's something else John introduces us to here: this is a family affair. His disciples are known to the bridegroom (by tradition, said to be Simon the Zealot). They are in Galilee, the home territory for all of them. And Jesus' mother is there -- this is extended family being married. So, we are back in the territory of relationships. Of course, there's something else we remember about the author of the Gospel, and that is his close relationship with Jesus' mother. From the Cross, Jesus designated him caretaker, second son to Mary. So perhaps the details in this story come from his close association with her. At any rate, she forms here an integral part of His ministry - as will so many other women.

And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine." The setting for today's reading is important, as is pointed out by my study bible. A wedding feast is symbolic of God's union with His people; in the Old Testament, this is God's union with His bride, Israel. My study bible notes: "Jesus begins His ministry at a wedding in Galilee, which was largely Gentile territory: thus this sign becomes a symbol of the joy of the Kingdom being spread beyond Judea to all the world." Wine is a symbol of covenant and of joy; a marriage feast is impossible without wine.

Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come." His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it." "Woman," says my study bible, "is a title of respect and distinction. Jesus addresses His mother from the Cross (19:26) in the same way as He does the woman at the well (4:21), the adulteress (8:10), and Mary Magdalene (10:13, 15), thus giving great dignity to womanhood. What does your concern have to do with Me? is literally, 'What to Me and to you?' A better translation is, 'What concern is that to Me and to you?' or, 'Why do you intervene?' In His answer to His mother, Jesus is neither refusing Mary's request nor embarrassing her, but reminding her that the time for His full and public self-disclosure has not yet arrived. My hour refers primarily to the time of His 'glorification' -- His Passion, death, Resurrection, and Ascension." Despite His answer, Mary seems confident. She knows her Son!

Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. Jesus said to them, "Fill the waterpots with water." And they filled them up to the brim. We can read a lot of symbolism into these waterpots and this action. First of all, they're made of stone because according to rabbinical teaching, they would not contract ritual impurity. So we have the symbolism in the six waterpots of the Levitical law. This is the first of seven signs in John's Gospel; six is one less than seven, an incompletion waiting the union of Lord and His people. This first sign is the declaration of His presence in the world. Water, of course, is something Jesus will focus on later in John's Gospel, as He teaches about the living water which He provides in abundance. These huge waterpots are filled to the brim at His command.

And He said to them, "Draw some out now; and take it to the master of the feast." And they took it. When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. And he said to him, "Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!" My study bible points out that there's no overt action on Jesus' part here -- "His word alone is sufficient to work the miracle." It also says, "The water, symbolizing the old dispensation, is changed into wine, symbolizing the new dispensation revealed by Christ. The abundant gallons of wine are probably symbolic of the abundance of grace and truth in Christ." It is "the good wine" - the astonishingly good wine that has been kept until now.

This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him. After this He went down to Capernaum, He, His mother, His brothers, and His disciples; and they did not stay there many days. This word "sign" here is important. It's used dozens of times in the Gospels. In modern Greek, is root is related to that of the word for "flag" -- it's something that represents something beyond itself, and yet indicates its presence. My study bible calls it, "the mystery of the Incarnate God at work in His mighty and saving acts; the Kingdom of God being inaugurated by Jesus." It says, "The disciples see His glory -- His divine power which reveals that He comes from the Father -- and are strengthened in their faith in Him." Again, we note the family "business" and relationships: He, His mother, His brothers (extended family - in the Middle East still today, "brothers" can refer to cousins), and His disciples. Over and over again, we will find those who are related in Christ, who come to form His family. This wedding feast symbolizes much more than the Lord with the bride of His people, but a Covenant extended deeper and wider than we can imagine.

My study bible points out that this wedding in Galilee is a teaching, a sign, of the Kingdom spreading beyond the Jews and into the whole world. So relationships and relatedness play a much greater role than we might suspect. In God's love, everybody is included. Everybody is invited to the wedding feast. In Matthew's parable of the wedding feast, as told by Jesus, we know that many are called, but few are chosen. Who will make up this extended family of Christ, the ones He will call His mother and brothers and sisters? The water turned into abundant wine, the color of life, calls us to His presence and His being. Acting in the Holy Spirit, He is the author and giver of Life, and Life in abundance. The living water is the source of that life. Who will drink the wine at the wedding feast of the Kingdom? It is a covenant of great joy, life and abundance. So Jesus inaugurates the Kingdom, with the help and prompting of His mother. We can initiate great beauty and power in our own lives through the power of prayer, of those who pray for us and with us in love and courage. How do you experience that love and abundance today? When we follow and trust in whatever He tells us in response, we don't know where it may lead us.