On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there

 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 that on the day following the one in which Jesus met Andrew and Peter, Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to 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 coming toward Him, and said to him, "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 answered and said to Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God!  You are the King of Israel!"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe?  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.   Today's reading gives us the first of seven signs in John's Gospel.  These miracles are called signs by John to indicate that they point to something beyond themselves:  that the Kingdom of God has come among us in the Person of Jesus Christ.  On the third day is an expression that means "two days later" from the events in our previous reading (the expression includes that day in its count), but significantly gives us a resurrectional tone to today's reading.  This wedding takes place on the sixth day we're given in John's Gospel, and it parallels the creation of man and woman in Genesis 1:26-31.  In the Old Testament, marriage feasts symbolized the union of God with His Bride, Israel, or the people of God.  In yesterday's reading we were told that Jesus deliberately wanted to go to Galilee, where He begins His ministry.  Galilee had a large Gentile population, a sign that the Gospel will spread to all the world.  "On the third day" gives us a sense that the marriage of God and God's Church will be fulfilled in Christ's Resurrection.  There are other parallels here to the Resurrection account of John (20:1-18):  both involve a woman named Mary who makes an appeal, and in both passages the disciples are invited to witness.   Furthermore, my study bible notes, John's Resurrection account bears a striking similarity to Song of Solomon 3:1-5, once more showing unity between marriage and Christ's Resurrection.  Finally, by Jesus' presence at this wedding, He is declaring marriage to be holy and honorable (Hebrews 13:4).

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."  This is an example of Mary's gift of intercession, upon which the faithful have since counted and invoked through their own prayers.  Even now, my study bible says, Mary continually speaks to her Son on our behalf and is our preeminent intercessor before His Throne.  We seek the prayers of Mary and other saints just as we would ask others whom we know to pray for us, particularly those noted for their faith and devotion.   All live in the communion of saints and in Christ.   We note Mary's confidence and faith in Him, as she tells the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it."  Wine is symbolic of life, and so my study bible notes that there are two levels of Mary's statement, "They have no wine."  First, marriage is not complete without the presence of Christ, and second, the old covenant was unable to bestow life even on the most faithful people.  Contrary to the way it may sound to modern ears and usage, Woman is a sacred title in Scripture.  It conveys deep respect and distinction (4:21; 8:10; 19:26; 20:13; compare to Genesis 2:23).  When Jesus asks, "What does your concern have to do with Me?" it is more literally in the Greek, "What is that to Me and to you?"   It's not a refusal of Mary's intercession, but rather a declaration that the time hadn't yet come for Christ to be revealed.

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.   The waterpots are made of stone because in accordance with rabbinical teaching, stone would not contract ritual impurity.  The number six is significant in today's reading; this is not only the sixth day of Jesus' ministry given in John's Gospel, but six is indicative of the Law.  It is one less than the perfect seven, and tells us that the Law, illustrated by the water reserved for purification, was incomplete, imperfect, and unable to bestow life itself.   This water is changed into wine, which symbolizes the old covenant being fulfilled in the new, which is capable of bestowing life.  The overabundant gallons of wine, my study bible tells us, illustrate the overflowing grace Christ grants to all.

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!"  A patristic reading of this text sees the transformation of water to wine as prefiguring the transformation of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist.

This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.  Jesus' glory (echoing John 1:14) refers both to Jesus' divine power shone in His signs, and also to His humble service to humankind, which will be shown most perfectly in the Cross.  In both ways, Jesus reveals that He is the One sent from the Father.

After this He went down to Capernaum, He, His mother, His brothers, and His disciples; and they did not stay there many days.  The final verse gives us the seventh day of John's Gospel narrative of Jesus' ministry, on which Jesus rests with His mother, His brothers, and His disciples.   It corresponds to God resting on the seventh day in Genesis 2:1-3.

Jesus manifests His glory, His signs begin for the disciples and even His family:  His mother and brothers (and we recall that the term "brothers" is used also to mean extended family).  Galilee, as my study bible notes, is a place of mixed populations, and Jesus' ministry begins there.  In this first sign, there are all kinds of hints about what will manifest to the world that has begun with a handful of people, and in relatively "quiet" moments.  But this sign will no doubt be spoken of.  A wedding is a public event, part of the life of community.  Even His disciples are gathered here; in John 21:2 we are told that Nathanel, reported in yesterday's reading (above) to have become a disciple, was himself from Cana of Galilee.  As Jesus' mother and extended family are present, as well as His disciples, this is entirely a community affair -- one in which presumably all present are tied to one another through varied relationships, both of family and region.  A marriage is the perfect symbol for the manifestation of Jesus' identity and the reality of the presence of the Kingdom.  As it is the symbol for the union of God with God's people, this is indeed a profound deepening of the understanding of the nature of our universe and our relationship to God.  It is the place where God's glory may be manifest, and the story of His love for us made clear.  In that union there is also a symbol of the entire communion of saints, and the true nature of our prayers.  When we ask for intercession, even in our forms of public worship, we never pray alone.  We pray with all those who live to Him, we worship even as the angels in heaven do so with us.  This is the reality of this community event, sanctioned by God, made possible through God's work in the world.  When we think of wedding, we often consider it a private affair, confined only to particular guests who are invited.  But a wedding is really an affair of a community, a joyful celebration to which all are called, and through which community becomes deepened and made more expansive.  Wine itself is the symbol of covenant; through today's story, we come to understand that it is the Lord who creates true relationship and sanctifies it.   Let us consider all that this truly means in God's sight, with God's help and active presence.  Let us also consider how God's glory manifests for us, in our communities, in our sacraments, and via our prayers.