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 were given the fourth day in this beginning of Christ's ministry:   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.  Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding.  This wedding in Cana of Galilee is the setting for the first of the seven "signs" we're given in John's Gospel (see verse 11).  My study Bible comments that John uses this term "signs" in order to show that these miraculous actions point beyond themselves -- to the truth that the Kingdom of God has come among us in the Person of Jesus Christ.  This setting of a wedding is significant also, as my study Bible explains.  Marriage feasts in the Old Testament were symbolic of the union of God with God's Bride, Israel.  Here Christ begins His ministry at Galilee, which also had a large Gentile population.  My study Bible says that this is a sign of the spread of the gospel to all the world.  This wedding takes place on the third day, which sets a resurrectional tone, which shows that the marriage of God and God's Church is fulfilled in Christ's Resurrection.  There are also other parallels to this marriage and the Resurrection account (found in John 20:1-18) which my study Bible notes:  both involve a woman named Mary who makes an appeal, and in both passages the disciples are invited to witness the event.  Moreover, in the Resurrection story (John 20:11-18) there is a striking similarity to Song of Solomon 3:1-5, which again reflects the unity between marriage and Christ's Resurrection.  Additionally, through Christ's presence at this wedding, marriage is plainly declared to be both holy and honorable (Hebrews 13:4).  This passage is read at Orthodox weddings, my study Bible reminds us, and these images are also incorporated into many prayers in the wedding service.

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."   My study Bible notes that this is an example of Mary's gift of intercession.  It says that even now, Mary continually speaks to her Son on our behalf and is our preeminent intercessor before His Throne; she prays for us.  This is confirmed in Jesus' granting of her request here.  Let us make note of her own sense of obedience to her Son, an example to us all, as she tells the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it."  In this passage, my study Bible comments, wine is symbolic of life, and so there are two levels of meaning to Mary's statement that "they have no wine."  First, a marriage isn't complete without the presence of Christ; and second, the old covenant could not bestow life even on the most faithful people.  Additionally, my study Bible explains that contrary to some modern usages, Woman is a sacred title in Scripture.  It says it is an address which conveys deep respect and distinction (see John 4:21; 8:10; 19:26; 20:13; compare to Genesis 2:23).   Jesus says, "What does your concern have to do with Me?"  From the Greek, this is more literally stated, "What is that to Me and to you?"  Moreover, the Greek is a quotation from the Septuagint Old Testament (the source of Christ's Old Testament quotations) 1 Kings 17:18.  It is what Zarabeth says to Elijah upon the death of her only son after she helps the prophet.  Christ is reminding His mother what she stands to lose once His "signs" become part of His public ministry.  Jesus' reply is therefore not a refusal of Mary's intercession, but a statement that the time had not yet come for Him to be revealed.  My study Bible comments on what Christ's fulfillment of her request teaches to us:  First, that He is Lord over hours and seasons and is not subject to them; second, that the wedding party needed to be aware of their lack of wine first so they might learn it is Christ who fulfills all needs.  Third, we need to have perseverance in our petitions before God (Matthew 15:21-28); and finally, the intercessions of the righteous have great power (James 5:16). 

 

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.  My study Bible comments that waterpots were made of stone because, in accordance with rabbinical teaching, stone would not contract ritual purity.  The number six is significant:  it is one less than the perfect seven (symbolizing fullness) which indicates that the Law, illustrated by water reserved for Jewish purification, was not complete; it was imperfect, and in and of itself was unable to bestow life.  As this water will be changed into wine, it will be symbolic of the old covenant being fulfilled in the new -- which is capable of bestowing life.  Additionally, my study Bible tells us, the overabundant gallons of wine are an illustration of the overflowing grace which Christ grants to all.

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.   My study Bible comments that in patristic literature this transformation of water that was made wine as prefiguring the transformation of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist.  This beginning of signs manifested His glory to the disciples, who then 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.  Today's reading gives us both the sixth and the seventh day of Christ's ministry.  The "sign" of manifestation of water into wine occurred on the sixth day.  That is, in the text it is said to be "on the third day" after the fourth (yesterday's reading, above).  This expression means "two days later," as it includes the current day in the calculation.  We're not given any events of the fifth day, but this sixth day on which the wedding at Cana took place parallels the creation of man and woman on the sixth day in Genesis 1:26-31.  On the seventh day (verse 12, here) Jesus rests at Capernaum with His mother, His brothers, and His disciples.  This parallels God resting on the seventh day in Genesis 2:1-3; thus completing this first week of Christ's ministry given by the Gospel of John.

 

 In yesterday's commentary, we spoke of how "light" is used in John's Gospel, especially in the preaching of Jesus, but also to describe Christ as the true Light (John 1:1-9).  In today's reading, we see the light reflected and manifested in the world, but in the form of a sign.  That is, a sign (as my study Bible says) that points to something beyond itself.  So, if we think of grace as light radiating from the sun (symbolizing God in God's substance or essence), then we can think of these signs as light that comes from the true Light.  Therefore, in Christ's manifestation of the transformation of water to wine, we have, in a sense, light leading the way in physically manifested form, so that we as human beings may see back to the source of that light and learn, and grow in its illumination for us.  Christ's signs in this way point to God, but also to Himself as Son and Logos.  In today's reading we're given the first of seven signs in the Gospel of John.  The other signs include curing the nobleman's son (John 4:46-54); healing the paralytic (John 5:1-15); feeding the five thousand (John 6:1-14); walking on water (John 6:15-21); opening the eyes of a blind man (John 9:1-41); and raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11:38-44).  In Orthodox theology, God's substance or essence is differentiated from God's grace by referring to grace as the "energies" of God.  So, like the sun itself in its dynamic function extends illuminating rays to the planets of our solar system, providing the light that is so necessary for all life in this world, God's grace extends to us to give us reflections of God, while not revealing the full essence of God, which we cannot know.  In each of these ways, in all of Christ's signs, in His teachings, in His sacrificing love for us, grace and light extend to give us life.  John's Gospel gives us this light and life, pointing back to the Source, the true Light.  Let us look forward to what we receive, and be grateful for that light we're given which shines in the darkness, although the darkness cannot know it (John 1:5).  Today's illumination also teaches us about prayer and intercession, the power of the saints whose prayers are carried by angels to God (Revelation 5:8; 8:3-4).  Mary, the Mother of God, intercedes on behalf of those who want to celebrate the wedding, at once displaying the power of intercession, but also her total faith in her son, and teaching obedience to Him.  Saints also are depicted with halos, indicating the holy light they carry into the world.  In this light of a saint, the one blessed among women, so we are also blessed.