You have kept the good wine until now!

 

 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 

 

In yesterday's reading, we were given the fourth day of Christ's public ministry: The following day (after Andrew and Simon Peter became His disciples) 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 there 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.  On the third day is an expression which my study Bible says means "two days later," as it includes the current day in its calculation.  Therefore this begins the sixth day of Christ's public ministry.  Paralleling the creation of man and woman in Genesis 1:26-31, the wedding in Cana of Galilee takes place, giving birth, so to speak, to Christ's ministry in Galilee.  My study Bible further explains that this setting is significant.  In the Old Testament, marriage feasts symbolized the union of God with His Bride, Israel.  Jesus intentionally begins His ministry at Galilee (see yesterday's reading, above) which had a large Gentile population; this was a sign of the spread of the gospel to all the world.  That the wedding took place on the third day gives a resurrectional tone to this event, showing that the marriage of God and God's Church will be fulfilled in the Resurrection of Christ.  There are other parallels to this marriage and the Resurrection account in John 20:1-18, which my study Bible names as that involve a woman named Mary who makes an appeal, and in both passages the disciples are invited to witness the event.  Moreover, the Resurrection account (John 20:11-18) has a striking similarity to Song of Solomon 3:1-5, again showing the unity between marriage and the Lord's Resurrection.   Additionally, by Christ's presence at the wedding He declares marriage to be holy and honorable (Hebrews 13:4), a sacrament of the Church.

 

 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.  Even now, my study Bible says, Mary continually speaks to her Son on our behalf and she is our preeminent intercessor before His Throne.  This is confirmed as Jesus grants her request in this passage.  Here, wine is symbolic of life; so, there are two levels of meaning in Mary's statement, "They have no wine."  First, a marriage is not complete without the presence of Christ; and second, the old covenant was not able to bestow life even on the most faithful people.  My study Bible moreover notes that, contrary to certain modern usages, Woman is a sacred title in Scripture, and it conveys deep respect and distinction (John 4:21; 8:10; 19:26; 20:13; compare to Genesis 2:23).  "What does your concern have to do with Me?" is translated more literally, "What is that to Me and to you?"  Most significantly, in the Greek, these are the same words used by the widow Zarephath in the Septuagint version of the Old Testament, when she questioned Elijah after the death of her only son following her help to the prophet (1 Kings 17:18).  In effect Jesus is using a kind of "shorthand" with His mother, asking if she is prepared for what is to follow once His signs (or miracles) begin.  Christ's hour is the time of his great glorification in the Cross at His Passion.  That Christ fulfills her request teaches several things, according to my study Bible:  First, that He is Lord over hours and seasons and is not subject to them.  Second, the wedding party needed to be aware of their lack of wine first so that they might learn that it is Christ who fulfills all needs.  Third, we need to have perseverance in our petitions before God (Matthew 15:21-28).  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.  Waterpots were made of stone because, according to rabbinical teaching, stone could not contract ritual impurity.  That there are six of them (one less than the perfect seven) indicates that the Law, illustrated by water reserved for Jewish purification, was incomplete, imperfect, and unable to bestow life.  My study Bible says that this water is changed into wine, symbolizing the old covenant being fulfilled in the new, which is capable of bestowing life.  The overabundant gallons of wine illustrate Christ's overflowing grace which is granted 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!"  My study Bible comments that in patristic commentary this transformation is seen as prefiguring the transformation of bread and wine into the Body 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.  After this He went down to Capernaum, He, His mother, His brothers, and His disciples; and they did not stay there many days.  Christ's glory, according to my study Bible, refers both to His divine power shown in His signs and wonders, and also to His humble service to humankind, shown most perfectly on the Cross (John 12:23-32; 13:31).  Through such manifestations of glory, Jesus reveals that He is the One sent from the Father.  This beginning of signs, the transformation of water to wine, is the first sign of seven in the Gospel of John.  According to my study Bible, John uses the term "signs" 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.  The following day ("after this He went down to Capernaum") marks the seventh day in this beginning of Christ's ministry, and it parallels the seventh day of rest in the creation story (Genesis 2:1-3).

 

Over the past two readings, we have taken note in commentary how Christ's ministry has unfolded on a very human scale.  The disciples have been called one by one, and they have personal connections to one another (two are brothers; a third comes from the brothers' same hometown; they are first introduced to Christ as the Lamb of God by John the Baptist as they were John's disciples earlier; Jesus personally calls Phillip by finding him and telling him, "Follow Me," Nathanael understands that Christ knows him in ways he finds impossible to explain).   But here, finally, on this sixth day given in John's Gospel, we have a striking example of the manifestation of Christ's glory, His miraculous first sign of turning water to wine.  My study Bible gives in its notes cited above many reasons for this setting and its meanings.  But perhaps in the context of our previous commentary we might note how Christ's Incarnation and its step by step, rather plodding growth of His ministry in the persons of the disciples who come to join Him is in stark contrast to this lightning-fast sign of water becoming wine.  This is impossible to understand except through divine help and power, where both time and space are seemingly suspended for what is a natural process to take place in a miraculous way.  One means to say that it is not impossible to turn water to wine through the addition of grapes and the process of fermentation, that this is a common human endeavor (and particularly so in Christ's time and place).  But in the case of Jesus, it is His divine will and power at work that creates this miracle, and it is a sign of God's presence with Him, a manifestation of God's grace and glory in the Person of Jesus Christ, the Son.  Perhaps it is, in fact, this deeply human story of the Incarnation that is itself the backdrop and contrast to Christ's miraculous power so that we truly understand the stupendous shock of the presence of God in our midst.  That very contrast teaches us about Christ and His identity and the transcendent reality of the Incarnation.  One also finds that this "secret" process of the water transforming within these large stone pots as a kind of parallel to the Incarnation itself.  This great transformation takes place hidden from human eyes, inside the darkness of the waterpots set aside for purification as holy vessels in some sense, and Christ Himself is also hidden in the plain sight of the fully human Jesus.  He is both fully human, and fully divine, but not all will understand His divinity, and it will remain hidden -- as it does today -- to many, despite His "signs."  Our faith, even until today, works in this same sense.  We can't see God's presence obviously among us and in our world, we don't perceive the kingdom of heaven ("The kingdom of heaven does not come with observation" - see Luke 17:20-21), but it is within us, it dwells among us; it lives in us through faith; it is present in our sacraments and liturgies, and Jesus Himself has taught that "where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them" (Matthew 18:20).  So the Incarnation of Christ, among its many attributes, also helps us to know by contrast the power that is in Him, His divinity, as well as to understand how in our every day world the hiddenness of the Kingdom is something we live with, and through faith we know its presence, and may participate in it, and moreover that Kingdom may even participate in us, for Christ has come not only to assume all the aspects of life as one of us, but to share with us even His divinity and grace as well, including all the gifts and fruit of the Spirit.  As St. John writes, "And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ" (John 1:16-17).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him

 

 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 of the beginning of Jesus' public ministry, corresponding to the fourth day of creation in Genesis.  The Gospel told us that 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 is the setting for the first of seven signs performed by Jesus which are given to us in John's Gospel.  John uses the term "signs" to show that these miraculous actions are pointing beyond themselves to the truth of the presence of the Kingdom of  God, come among us in the Person of Jesus Christ, as my study Bible notes.  It adds that the setting is very significant.  In the Old Testament, marriage feasts were symbolic of the union of God with God's Bride, Israel.  Jesus starts His ministry in Galilee.  My study Bible notes that Galilee had a large Gentile population, and so this is a sign of the spread of the gospel of Christ to all the world.  That this wedding took place on the third day gives a resurrectional tone.  It shows that the marriage of God and God's Church will be fulfilled in the Resurrection of Christ.  There are other parallels between this marriage and the Resurrection account in John 20:1-18 cited by my study Bible are that both involve a woman named Mary who makes an appeal, and in both passages the disciples are invited to witness this event.  Moreover the Resurrection account (John 20:11-18) has a striking similarity to Song of Solomon 3:1-5, which again shows the unity between marriage and Christ's Resurrection.  Moreover, Jesus' presence at the wedding is a declaration that marriage is holy and honorable (Hebrews 13:4).  Today's passage is read at weddings in the Orthodox Church, and the images in today's reading incorporated into many prayers in the wedding service.  On the third day is an expression which means "two days later" (after the events of our previous reading, above), as it includes the current day in the calculation. 

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 calls this an example of Mary's gift of intercession.  Even now, Mary continually speaks to her Son on our behalf and is our preeminent intercessor before Christ's throne.  In the words of an Orthodox prayer, "The intercessions of a mother have great effect to win the favor of the Master."  This is illustrated in today's reading when Jesus grants her request.  Additionally, my study Bible notes that wine is symbolic of life, and so there are two levels of meaning to Mary's statement, "They have no wine."  First, without the presence of Christ, a marriage is not complete; second, the old covenant could not bestow life even on the most faithful people.  Here, we are also to understand that Woman is a sacred title in Scripture.  It's an address which my study Bible says conveys deep respect and distinction (John 4:21; 8:10; 19:26; 20:13; compare to Genesis 2:23).  Christ's question, "What does your concern have to do with Me?" is an important one.  It is more literally understand, "What is that to me and to you?"  However, in Greek it is an exact quotation from a passage in the Septuagint (Greek) version of the Old Testament, found in 1 Kings 17:18, in the story of the widow Zarabeth.  Zarabeth addresses it to Elijah when her only son dies after she helped the prophet.  In this Christ is warning her, even reminding her of what is to come once His signs become well known.  That Christ fulfills her request teaches several things, according to my study Bible:  First, He is Lord over hours and seasons and is not subject to them.  Second, the wedding party first needed to be aware of their lack of wine so they ight learn it is Christ who fulfills all needs.  Additionally, it teaches us to have persistence in our petitions before God (Matthew 15:21-28).  Finally, there is great power in the intercessions of the righteous (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.   These waterpots are made of stone because, in accordance with rabbinical teaching, stone could not contract ritual impurity.  There there are six (which is one less than the perfect seven) is an indication that the Law, illustrated by water reserved for Jewish purification, was incomplete, imperfect, and not able to bestow life.  This water changed into wine symbolizes the old covenant fulfilled in the new, my study Bible says, which is capable of bestowing life.  These overabundant gallons of wine portray 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!"  In patristic commentary, this transformation of water to the good wine is seen as prefiguring the transformation of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist. This concludes the sixth day given in John's Gospel of this beginning of Christ's public ministry.  The wedding at Cana parallels the sixth day in Genesis 1:26-31, the creation of man and woman. 

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. Here in this first sign Christ manifested His glory as expression of His divinity Incarnate in His human life, to which the disciples are witness.  Jesus going down to Capernaum with His mother, His brothers, and His disciples parallels the seventh day of creation in Genesis 2:1-3, in which God rested.

That Christ manifested His glory in this sign before the disciples is an aspect of something we understand throughout His ministry, and indicated in the word "epiphany."  To manifest is root of that word "epiphany" in Greek, literally coming from an original word that means "light."  In other words, to bring to light, to show forth.  While the past two readings have shown us Christ's ability to know and to fully see into people as part of the divine nature He brings to the world, today's "sign" is a more full expression that the Kingdom of God is present in Jesus Christ, as my study Bible put it -- and all the disciples, plus Christ's Mother Mary, are witness to it.  Moreover, those who know the story, and those who tasted the wine, can affirm it was indeed "the good wine" that was in those waterpots.  My study Bible has an interesting note in a passage on the identity of Christ (the knowledge of which is called Christology).  It notes that Christ acts both as God and as human being, doing what is appropriate for each nature in the unity which is provided by His one divine Person.  It suggests that never does divine nature and activity become changed into human nature and activity; thus, the two are in union without confusion.  But Christ "energizes" human nature with divine energy (this is the activity of grace), so that human nature is redeemed from sin an death and brought into union with God.  So, therefore, Christ present and Incarnate in our world "deifies" humanity.  So the manifestation of Christ's miracles in this sense are extremely important, for as He has said Himself, "With God all things are possible"  (Matthew 19:26), and the angel Gabriel said to Mary, "For with God nothing will be impossible" (Luke 1:37).  The "impossible" is the manifestation of the glory of God, the glory that belongs to Christ in His divine nature.  Without God's grace manifesting to us, where would we be?  What would we know?  Let us remember that all the work of grace is for us, given to us from the love of God. 

 

 

 

 

You have kept the good wine until now!

 

 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 

 

On Saturday, we were given the fourth day reported in John's Gospel of the beginning of Christ's public 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 of 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.    On the third day is an expression which means "two days later," as it includes the current day in the calculation.  So, this is the sixth day of seven given in this beginning of Christ's public ministry.  My study Bible comments that the wedding in Cana parallels the creation of man and woman on the sixth day in Genesis 1:26-31.   My study Bible also adds that this setting is significant.  In the Old Testament, marriage feasts symbolized the union of God with God's Bride, Israel.  Jesus begins His ministry here in Galilee, which had a large Gentile population.  This is a sign of the spread of the gospel to all the world.  Also, that the wedding took place "on the third day" sets a resurrectional tone, which shows that the marriage of God and God's Church will be fulfilled in Christ's Resurrection.  There are other ties between Christ's Resurrection and marriage; both involve a woman named Mary how makes an appeal (in the next verse) and the disciples are invited to witness both events.  Moreover, John's Resurrection account  (John 20:11-18) has a striking similarity to Song of Solomon 3:1-5, showing once again a unity between marriage and the Lord's Resurrection.  Finally, by His presence at this wedding, Jesus further declares marriage to be holy and honorable (Hebrews 13:4); therefore this passage is read at weddings in the Orthodox Church, and these images are incoporated 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."   My study Bible says that this is an example of Mary's gift of  intercession.  She is "blessed among women" (Luke 1:28).  It adds that even now, the Church understands that Mary continually speaks to her Son on our behalf (prays for us) and is our preeminent intercessor before His Throne.  An Orthodox prayer declares, "The intercessions of a mother have great effect to win the favor of the Master."  This is confirmed by Jesus' response that comes in the next verses.  We should remember also that here, wine is symbolic of life, and therefore my study Bible comments that there are two levels of meaning in Mary's statement, "They have no wine."   First, that a marriage is incomplete without the presence of Christ; and second, the old covenant was not able to bestow life even on the most faithful people. 

 

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."    In contrast to how modern ears may hear it, the term Woman is a sacred title in Scripture; my study Bible calls it an address which conveys deep respect and distinction (John 4:21; 8:10; 19:26; 20:13 -- compare to Genesis 2:23).  What does your concern have to do with Me? can be read more literally, "What is that to Me and to you?"  It is also a parallel to the words from Zarabeth to Elijah in 1 Kings 17:18; in the Greek of the New Testament and of the Septuagint Old Testament, they are identical statements.  In this parallel sense, Jesus is giving Mary a warning, as a widow who will lose her only son, about what is to come once His ministry becomes fully known.  My study Bible says that this answer of Jesus is not a refusal of Mary's intercession, but a declaration that the time had not yet come for Christ to be revealed.  That Christ will fulfill Mary's request teaches several things.  First, Christ is Lord over hours and seasons and is not subject to them.  Second, the wedding party needed to be aware of their lack of wine first so they might learn that it is Christ who fulfills all needs.  This also teaches us that we need perseverance in our petitions before God (Matthew 15:21-28); and finally, that the intercessions of the righteous have great power (James 5:16).  Let us note also Mary's great confidence in Jesus in her reply, "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.  Waterpots were made of stone, my study Bible explains, because, according to rabbinical teaching, stone would not contract ritual impurity.  That there are six (one less than the perfect seven) indicates that the Law, which is illustrated by water being reserved for Jewish purification, was incomplete, imperfect, and unable to bestow life.  This water is changed into wine -- which symbolizes the old covenant being fulfilled in the new, which is capable of bestowing life.  My study Bible adds that the overabundant gallons of wine illustrate the overflowing grace which Christ grants to all.  Regarding wine and wedding as metaphor for the new covenant, see also Matthew 9:15-17.

 

 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!"  In patristic commentary, this transformation is seen 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.  After this He went down to Capernaum, He, His mother, His brothers, and His disciples; and they did not stay there many days.  In today's reading, we are given the first of seven signs which are reported in John's Gospel, as manifesting Christ's glory (John 11:4, 40), which also includes His humble service to human beings, shown most perfectly on the Cross (John 12:23-32).  The seventh day given in John's Gospel in the day after the wedding in Cana, when Jesus rests at Capernaum with HIs mother, His brothers, and His disciples -- paralleling God resting on the seventh day in Genesis 2:1-3.

 

This first of seven signs in John's Gospel really tells us quite a bit about Jesus and His ministry.  There are all the elements noted above, especially the important symbolism of a wedding and of marriage.  It teaches us about union with Christ, but a union that spreads out relatedness to a wider community, that brings so many also into itself, as part of itself.  A marriage is a covenant, and so this deep relationship as blessed and sanctified by God brings much out of itself.  Jesus tells us that the "two shall become one flesh" -- even leaving behind parental ties for this new union brought together by God (see Mark 10:5-9).   Seen in this light, marriage is also a "new covenant," and in Christ's language, one made so powerful and potent through God's sanctification, that the two become one.  Moreover, as we can see from the wedding at Cana, weddings have historically been community affairs.  Through marriage extensive relationships are established within communities and between many people, and this image is also what we must draw upon when we think of Christ and His covenant with us, with His people.  He brings in all those with faith, "in His name," within this covenant which -- like marriage -- bestows new identity through this union of faith.  Because, after all, what is a union between two people but a kind of faith, a trust which is placed one in the other, and for the union which is produced and whatever fruit it bears?  This wedding teaches us also about the deep faith Mary, Jesus' mother, has in Jesus as Messiah, as the Christ.  For she has kept all the things in her heart which were revealed to her through angels and through prophecy (see Luke 1:26-56; Luke 2:8-52; especially 2:19, 51).  Now Mary acts in that confidence, together with all the experiences of life with Him as His mother.  And it is her great faith -- her prayer, essentially -- that initiates this first sign of seven, and the beginning of Christ's Galilean ministry, which manifests His glory in a very public way, uniting all in the wine, as a prefiguring of the Eucharist.  Let us contemplate the deep meanings and connections here, and especially the way that Christ gives us relationship and community, through God's great grace and blessings for us.  For this is indeed the "good wine" in which we share.

 

 

 

 

Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me?

 

 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 

 

In yesterday's reading, we were given the fourth day described in John's Gospel:  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 of 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.   As we have remarked in the commentaries this week, John's Gospel gives us the first week of Christ's ministry in interesting parallels to the creation story in Genesis.  The events described in today's reading occur on the sixth day given in John's Gospel, while the fifth is skipped.  The phrase on the third day, my study Bible explains, is an expression which means "two days later," as the current day is included in the calculation.  On this sixth day given to us occurs the wedding in Cana, paralleling the creation of man and woman in Genesis 1:26-31.  My study Bible points out also that in the Old Testament, marriage feasts symbolized the union of God with God's Bride, Israel.  Here Jesus begins His ministry at Galilee, which had a large Gentile population; the events described in today's reading are a sign of the spread of the Gospel to all the world.  That the wedding took place "on the third day" sets a resurrectional tone, my study Bible adds, showing that the marriage of God and God's Church will be filled in the Resurrection of Christ.  There are other parallels here between today's reading and the Resurrection account of John 20:1-18, in that both involve a woman named Mary who makes an appeal, and in both passages the disciples are invited to witness the event.  Moreover, my study Bible points out that the Resurrection account in John (specifically John 20:11-18) bears a great similarity to Song of Solomon 3:1-5, which again shows the unity between marriage and Christ's Resurrection.

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 cites this as an example of Mary's gift of intercession.  It notes that even now, Mary continually speaks to her Son on our behalf, and is our preeminent intercessor before His Throne.  This is confirmed as Jesus grants her request here.  It notes also that wine is symbolic of life, and therefore there are two levels of meaning to Mary's statement, "They have no wine."   First, a marriage isn't complete without Christ's presence; second the old covenant was not able to bestow life even on the most faithful.  It's important also that we understand that Woman is a sacred title in Scripture, an address which conveys deep respect and admiration (John 4:21, 8:10, 19:26, 20:13; compare to Genesis 2:23).  It's important to remark upon Jesus' words here.  That which is rendered "What does your concern have to do with Me?" more literally reads, "What [is that to] Me and you?" in the Greek.  Jesus' answer isn't a refusal of Mary's intercession, but rather a declaration that the time had not yet come for Christ to be revealed.  There is an extremely significant parallel here to the Septuagint Old Testament, which is the version of the Old Testament quoted in the New Testament.  In the Septuagint, in 1 Kings 17:18, after her son dies following her help to Elijah, the widow Zarabeth says to him, "What have I to do with you, O man of God?" (NKJV).  But in the Greek, the phrase is precisely the same reply Jesus gives to Mary here:  "τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοί."   Understood properly, this communication between Son to mother clearly implies He is preparing her for what is to come, asking her if she is ready for His public ministry to begin with this first sign which begins with her request here, and its inevitable outcome at the Cross and the death of her own Son.  Her response is to directly defer to Christ, telling the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it."   Additionally, that Christ fulfills Mary's request teaches several things which my study Bible notes as follows:  First, that Christ is Lord over hours and seasons and is not subject to them.  Second, the wedding party needed to be aware of their lack of wine first so that they might learn that it is Christ who fulfills all needs.  Third, we need to have perseverance in our petitions before God (Matthew 15:21-28).  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.  Waterpots were made of stone, my study Bible explains, because, according to rabbinical teaching, stone would not contract ritual impurity.  That there are six (one less than the perfect seven) indicates that the Law, which is illustrated by water being reserved for Jewish purification, was incomplete, imperfect, and unable to bestow life.  My study Bible says that the water changed into wine symbolizes the old covenant being fulfilled in the new, which is capable of bestowing life.  The overabundant gallons of wine illustrate the overflowing grace which Christ grants to all.  

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!"  My study Bible says that according to patristic commentary, this transformation prefigures 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.  This beginning of signs is the first of seven signs performed by Jesus in John's Gospel.  My study Bible says that John uses the 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.  John again uses the word glory (as in John 1:14), referring both to His divine power shown by His signs and wonders and also to Christ's service to humankind, in both ways revealing He is the One sent by 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.  This is the seventh day given in the Gospel, again paralleling the Genesis creation account.  Jesus rests at Capernaum with His mother, His brothers, and His disciples, as God rested on the seventh day in Genesis 2:1-3.

If we look closely at Jesus' remark to His mother, we see an extraordinary kind of understanding that appears to be between them.  The words in Greek literally read, "What Me and you?" ("τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοί") but they are the quotation of the words of Zarabeth to Elijah in the version of the Old Testament available to Christ and His contemporaries, and the version of the Old Testament quoted in the New.  In the relationship of mother to Son, she will be the one who is hurt, a widow who loses her Son.  It is an indication to us that the Cross was understood long before this moment, long before it will come, and early in the lives of this mother and her Son about whom Gabriel prophesied to her.  In Luke's Gospel, we are also given a prophesy to Mary by Simeon when the baby Jesus was brought to the temple.  Luke writes, "Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, 'Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.'"  (See Luke 2:25-35.)  The sympathy between mother and Son is revealed through the Gospels, as she is present at the Cross.  This is made particularly clear in John's Gospel, as it is in this Gospel that John records Jesus' words on the Cross regarding His mother:  "Woman, behold your son!" (John 19:26).  Who else but John the Evangelist could write and know these words, into whose hands the care of Christ's mother was given?  That Mary was chosen out of all humankind to be the mother of Christ was always extraordinarily significant to our ancient Christian ancestors, and the significance of her intercession in this first sign of John's Gospel regarded as a sign of her own capacity for intercession for us.  There is an Orthodox prayer quoted in my study Bible, which declares, "The intercessions of a mother have great effect to win the favor of the Master."  Intercession is what we ask of fellow believers when we ask for their prayers; in the communion of saints (the "great cloud of witnesses" in Hebrews 12:1) we understand God's grace enables their presence and hence prayers for us.   It is unfortunate that for a great many followers of Christ today, the importance of Mary seems to be disregarded.  But it should be clear that for any mother to be given such a place in salvation history would have required a person of extraordinary courage and faith and trustworthiness.   As we read in the Gospels, the early life of Christ was not an easy one, but one filled with danger and which required His parents to endure hardship and exile, and His mother the possible shame she would be willing to bear in silence (Matthew 1:19).  The story of Mary teaches us about the saintly, those whose faith enables them to endure and persist despite the discouragement the worldly would bring them.  Looking at Christ's beginnings, we might wonder how discouraged our faith would be when there was no room for His birth in Bethlehem (Luke 2:7), or when they had to flee the massacre of the innocents by Herod (Matthew 2:13-18).  The story of Christ is not possible without also the story of His mother Mary, and neither is the whole history of the Church possible without Mary's great presence in it, from the earliest centuries considered to be the greatest of the saints.  Uncountable numbers of the faithful have taken heart at her intercession and felt her presence in their lives; we can only guess at the hints in the Gospels about her character if we read between the lines of Christ's great sympathy, especially in His encounters with women and those among His discipleship.  We might ask from whom did Jesus' human persona develop, or under whose discerning and faithful eye, but perhaps these questions are simply unanswerable.  All we can do is look to the significance of this relationship recorded by John, the disciple who became her second son when Jesus was no longer in the world.  I recommend the prayers to Mary for intercession, the honor she's given so highly in the history of the Church, for the pain in the heart of this mother and her deep faith in her Son is such that many have found helpful for their own.

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

On Saturday we read that 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 of 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.   On the third day is an expression that really translates to "two days later" in our terms -- as it includes the current day in the calculation.  On Saturday (see above), we read of the events of the fourth day in the Gospel.  This is therefore the sixth day given of Jesus' public ministry.  It is a parallel to the sixth day of the creation story in Genesis.  This was the day on which man and woman were created in Genesis 1:26-31.  Fittingly, it is the day of a wedding, at which Jesus, His disciples, and His mother are in attendance.  This wedding takes place in Galilee, where Jesus ministry begins.  Galilee has a large Gentile population, a sign of the spread of the gospel to all the world.  That the wedding takes place on the third day, my study bible notes, sets a resurrectional tone to this event; it reflects that the marriage of God and god's Church is fulfilled in Christ's Resurrection.  As with the Resurrection story (20:1-18), a woman named Mary makes an appeal, and also the disciples witness the event. 

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 calls this an example of Mary's gift of intercession.  It is the prime example we have from the Gospels.  In accordance with the ancient tradition of the Church, Mary continually speaks to her Son on our behalf.  She is considered our preeminent intercessor before His Throne.  It is also consistent with the traditions of the ancient Jews, and the line of David, and the special place of the mother of the king.  My study bible also notes the symbolism of the wine -- blood-colored, wine is symbolic of life.  Therefore, it notes, there are two levels of meaning to Mary's statement that they have no wine.   First, that a marriage is not complete without the presence of Christ.  Second, that the old covenant was unable to bestow life even on the most faithful people.  Additionally, we note that Jesus addresses His mother as Woman.  This may sound to our modern ears rather coarse, but in fact this is a sacred title in Scripture.  My study bible tells us that in fact it conveys deep respect and distinction (4:21, 8:10, 1926, 20:13; compare to Genesis 2:23).  Jesus' questioning response to Mary is literally translated, "What is that to Me and to you?"  (In modern terms, one is tempted to say He's asking her why that is any of their business!)  My study bible remarks that this isn't a refusal of her intercession, but rather a declaration that the time hasn't come for His identity as Christ to be revealed.  Spiritually, His fulfillment of her request teaches, among other things, that Christ is Lord of time, over hours and seasons, and is not subject to them.  Moreover, the wedding party had to be aware of their lack of wine so that they might learn it is Christ who fulfills needs.  Additionally, we need perseverance in our petitions before God (Matthew 15:21-28).  Finally, the intercessions of the righteous are powerful (James 5:16).  It is also noteworthy here that Mary's confidence and faith in her Son is supreme; her instructions to the servants regarding following His commands apply to each of us.

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!"   Waterpots, in Jewish tradition, were made of stone.  This is as rabbinical teaching indicates that stone would not contract ritual impurity.  Six waterpots (that is, one less than the perfect seven which means fullness),  is symbolic of the idea that the Law, illustrated by water reserved for Jewish purification, was incomplete, imperfect, and unable to bestow life, according to my study bible.  Just as John the Baptist's baptism of water was for repentance in preparation for the Baptism with the Spirit initiated by Christ, the water changed into wine symbolizes that the old covenant is fulfilled in the new.  This new wine, as symbol of the new covenant in Christ, is capable of bestowing life.  These gallons of new wine, the waterpots filled up to the brim in overabundance, are images of the overflowing grace Christ grants to all (And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace - 1:16).

This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.  This is the first of seven signs that John will report in his Gospel.  These are called signs by John to show that the miraculous actions of Christ are meant to point to something beyond themselves, to the truth that the Kingdom of God has come among us in the Person of Christ.  They are not meant to persuade or manipulate; rather, they are manifestations of the reality of the grace and truth of Christ.  This first sign is traditionally seen in the Church as prefiguring the transformation of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist.

After this He went down to Capernaum, He, His mother, His brothers, and His disciples; and they did not stay there many days.   Finally, we are given the seventh day of Christ's ministry.  Paralleling the seventh day of Genesis, in which God rested (Genesis 2:1-3).  Jesus, His mother, his brothers, and His disciples all rest at Capernaum.

 We cannot read this passage without a comment regarding the intercession of Mary.  As many modern people find it difficult to relate to this particular "ministry" of Mary, it is noteworthy to consider how deeply in Christian history the role of Mary as both intercessor and protector goes.  Just a bit of Church history might be useful here:  Mary's title as "Godbearer" (Theotokos in the Greek) was formally affirmed at the Third Ecumenical Council (431).   (Note that the Reformed tradition accepts the first four Ecumenical Councils.)  But Mary as intercessor remains a concept that some struggle with.  A papyrus (called P470), part of a collection obtained by the Rylands Library in Manchester, England in 1917, contains a very early prayer to Mary.  The entire collection includes what is considered the oldest record of the canonical New Testament, dating as early as 117 to 138.  This particular papyrus dates as early as 250.  The prayer it contains reads:  "Beneath your compassion, we take refuge, Theotokos!  Our prayers, do not despise in necessities, but from danger deliver us, only pure, only blessed one!"   It is important to note the corporate nature of this prayer; therefore it was already being used in early worship in the Church.  We note the appeal to her compassion, as expressed in today's text, in which she is concerned that those at the wedding have run out of wine.  She is already referred to as one whose prayers were sought for needs and for protection -- even deliverance, and as refuge.  It is, in light of this text, impossible to ignore the role of Mary already present in the early Church, and at a time of its active persecution, before Christianity could be legally practiced in the Empire (which was possible only after the Edict of Milan in 313).  Mary remains a figure venerated in both East and West, whose help in prayer is actively sought, just as you or I might seek the prayers of a person whom we know as particularly righteous for our strength and help in our own spiritual and other struggles in life.  She remains the most highly esteemed of all the saints, for reasons which include what is on display in today's reading:  she kept all the secrets of her heart in faith regarding her Son (Luke 2:19, 51).  She has the insight of absolute faith in the identity and mission of Christ.  She expresses and acts upon her compassion, making a plea on others' behalf.  And finally, although He questions her regarding her request, Christ nevertheless reveals the first sign of His Kingdom in the world in response to her prayer.  Her command to us, as His followers, remains as essential to that mission today as it was then:  "Whatever He says to you, do it."  It is her faith that remains the supreme example to us all.  We must keep in mind, as well, that this is the Gospel of the disciple to whom Jesus entrusted His mother for her care, from the Cross (John 19:26).  Besides her Son, who could have known her better?  Aside from the Gospel, we have the testimony of the Church regarding Mary, and the uncountable faithful who entrust their prayers to her help and intercession, and especially their testimonies regarding the love and care they feel and receive in return.  Let us consider how our faith makes of this woman its supreme saint, the human being who was capable of being mother to this Son and to the rest of us -- should we seek to find her as companion in the faith.

They have no wine

 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

This week we have begun the Gospel of John.  First came its theological Prologue.  Then we are given a week in the beginning of Jesus' ministry, paralleling the Creation in Genesis.  On the first day we are introduced to John the Baptist,  then on the second and third days Jesus meets and chooses His first disciples, who were first disciples of John.  Yesterday, we read that on the following day (that is, the fourth day) 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 of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there 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.  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."    The third day is an expression that means "the day after the next" (or "two days later," including the current day in the count) making this the sixth day given in John's Gospel.  We are, significantly, at a wedding feast.  The sixth day in Genesis is the creation of man and woman.  Significantly, a woman plays a great role in this reading, and she is the Mary, the Mother of Christ.  Her role here as intercessor will set her role in the Church to come, and that of the saints who follow her.  A wedding is symbolic of the new covenant coming into the world through this ministry.  It also parallels Resurrection:  there is a Mary here who makes an appeal, and it is the third day.  It's a reflection, a hint, that the marriage between God and His Church or His people, Israel, will be fulfilled in the Resurrection.  My study  bible points out the similarities between John's Resurrection account and Song of Solomon, also cementing the tie between Resurrection and the marriage of God and God's beloved.  We are in Galilee, a place of both Jewish and Gentile populations, signifying this marriage, this new covenant, will include all people who enter into it.  But most powerfully, we are given the role and character of His mother, the human being chosen to bear God into the world (Theotokos, traditional title for Mary, means "God-bearer").    There is a kind of synergy here between human beings and the Lord's power; her prayer or intercession, and her example and teaching of obedience, making way for the first sign or miracle in John's Gospel.   This working between human beings (prayer) and the Lord is the depth of covenant in faith, for which marriage ("the two become one flesh") is another kind of symbol.  Wine is symbolic of life, says my study bible.  So Mary's statement, "They have no wine," has two levels of meaning:  first, a marriage isn't complete without the presence of Christ, and second, the old covenant was unable to bestow life even on those most faithful.  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).  Jesus asks more literally, "What is that to Me and to you?"   He declares that the time for His revelation as Christ hasn't come yet. 

Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece.   Again, the number six is significant in today's reading.  It's the sixth day of John's Gospel, and here the waterpots number six.  It is one less than the perfect seven, and symbolic of the Law.  These are made of stone, as in rabbinical teaching, stone would not contract ritual impurity.  The Law (illustrated by water reserved for Jewish purification) was incomplete, imperfect, and could not bestow life.

  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.   The changing of water into wine symbolizes the old covenant being fulfilled in the new, which can bestow life.  The overabundance here in the gallons of the good wine is symbolic of overflowing grace for grace that Christ grants.  In the tradition of the Church, many see the transformation of water to wine as prefiguring the Eucharist, the transformation of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ.  Jesus' glory is the divine power in signs such as this one, and also His humble service to human beings.

After this He went down to Capernaum, He, His mother, His brothers, and His disciples; and they did not stay there many days.  This verse gives us the seventh day of Jesus' ministry, paralleling the day of God's rest in Genesis.  Jesus' brothers are considered to be either extended family (as it is common in Scripture as well as today in the Middle East to refer to cousins as "brothers"), or step-children to Mary by previous marriage of Joseph.  As would be typical, all were present as guests at the wedding.

Perhaps there is nothing more extraordinary than the power of prayer.  Shown in Jesus' Mother, who will become the saint of all saints, the one always known as great Intercessor for all His followers, is the example of human beings "working together," so to speak, with the power of God.  Through the Incarnation, Christ stoops low, one might say, as God comes to us and meets us where we are.  Prayer becomes both plea and dialogue, and God's power responds.  Thus, today's reading gives us the first sign of God's presence among us in John's Gospel.  There will be seven given altogether.   Mary is a stand-in and representative of all faithful human beings who love God.  In that light, her role as God-bearer becomes more profound and powerful.  Human beings are shown to have the capacity, by grace, to bear God within themselves, and to nurture Christ's Church in the world through our own love and care and protection of what is truly "the Good."  It is love that really cements this bond -- what is called "synergy" in formal theology -- between God and human beings.  That it is a woman chosen for such a role teaches us the tremendous blessing given to all of us by God as heirs and inheritors of this Kingdom and participants in God's covenant.  The power of prayer illustrated in Mary's appeal or request is also shown to have extraordinary benefits for all the world in the resulting abundance of wine as illustrative of God's grace.  In the encounter with God, we do not know the results of our prayer.  All power of response is in the hands of God, and Christ's response shows that it is He who elects to choose His own time and response for all things.  We cannot predict grace, nor are we the authors of its power and intention.  But we can play a role, as intercessors ourselves, when we pray for the world, when we enter into dialogue with God.  That simple act can already be one of repentance, of a desire for something other than the world's dictates and the "rules" we seem to learn from what is "worldly."  Prayer is a request for something more and different.  It is even an act of freedom, a refusal of slavery to sin, a turning to grace beyond what we know.  Let us remember her example and also her love, for that is the key to everything, even to her depth of humility.

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

In our previous reading, we read about the "fourth day" of Jesus' ministry, as included in John's Gospel.  On this day, 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 of 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, my study bible points out, is the setting for the first of seven signs which are performed by Jesus in the Gospel of John.  It tells us, "John uses the term signs 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."  The setting of this wedding is significant, as in the Old Testament, marriage feasts symbolized the union of God with His Bride, Israel.  Here Jesus' ministry begins in Galilee which had a large Gentile population.  We recall Nathanael's disparaging question about Nazareth (of Galilee) in Saturday's reading, above -- and the fact that so many of Jesus' earliest disciples are also Galileans.  My study bible calls this Galilean beginning a sign of the spread of the gospel to all the world.   The "third day" means it's now two days after the previous one reported -- but it also sets a "Resurrectional" tone.  My study bible says it shows that the marriage of God and His Church will be fulfilled in Christ's Resurrection.  It also notes that other parallels between this marriage at Cana and the Resurrection account in 20:1-18 are that "both involve a woman named Mary who makes an appeal, and in both passages the disciples are invited to witness the event."   My study bible also notes that John's Resurrection account (20:11-18) has a striking similarity to Song of Solomon 3:1-5, again showing the unity between marriage and our Lord's Resurrection.  Jesus' presence at this wedding gives a blessing to the institution of marriage itself, showing it to be "holy and honorable" (Hebrews 13:4), says my study bible.  This event occurs on the "sixth day" according to John's Gospel (we began with John the Baptist's testimony), which corresponds to the sixth day of Creation in Genesis, in which God created man and woman (see Genesis 1:26-31).

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 says that this is an example of Mary's gift of intercession.  It explains, "Even now, Mary continually speaks to her Son on our behalf and is our preeminent intercessor before His Throne."  It adds that her capacity as intercessor is confirmed as Jesus grants her request here.  And there is another aspect to this passage:  wine is symbolic of life, so that gives two levels of meaning to Mary's statement that they have no wine.  My study bible suggests they are:  (1)  that a marriage is not complete without the presence of Christ; and (2) that the old covenant was unable to bestow life even on the most faithful people.  A note also explains that, contrary to certain modern usage, Woman is a sacred title in Scripture, an address conveying deep respect and distinction.  Jesus' question to Mary here is more literally read, "What is that to Me and to you?"  Jesus' response suggests that it's not yet His time to be revealed as Christ.  That her request is fulfilled, however, teaches several things according to my study bible:  (1) that Christ is Lord over hours and seasons and is not subject to them (after all, turning water to wine normally involves a process of time); (2) that the wedding party needed to be aware of their lack of wine first so that they might learn that it is Christ who fulfills all needs; (3) that we need to have perseverance in our petitions before God (Matthew 15:21-28); and (4) that 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.  The waterpots were made of stone because stone would not contract ritual impurity, according to rabbinical teaching.  The number six is significant, says my study bible.  It's one less than the perfect seven, and "indicates that the Law, illustrated by water being reserved for Jewish purification, was incomplete, imperfect, and unable to bestow life."  The water changed into wine is symbolic of the old covenant being fulfilled in the new, which is capable of bestowing life.  The overabundant (filled to the brim) gallons of wine illustrate the overflowing  grace 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.  After this He went down to Capernaum, He, His mother, His brothers, and His disciples; and they did not stay there many days.  My study bible tells us that the Fathers see this transformation as prefiguring the transformation of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist.

What are we to make of the insistence of Jesus' mother, Mary, at this occasion  Let's remember this is the first sign John's Gospel gives us.  Although Jesus has chosen disciples, and is now known publicly as a teacher, His word to His mother is discouraging!  "My hour has not yet come" is clearly meant to tell her that it's not His time for revelation.  But her confidence, her faith, is something else.  She clearly knows about His mission, His identity.  If not in the fullness of all that the promise of Gabriel to her meant at the Annunciation, this woman is closely identified with her Son, clearly a part of this ministry.  We can see that they all travel together as sort of a great family -- He, His mother, His brothers, and His disciples -- to Capernaum after the wedding.  And of course this is not the only time an insistent woman will somehow "persuade" Jesus (if we can really use that word) to do something revelatory against what would seem to be His reservations to the contrary.  We can, in some sense, parallel this with His conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4:1-42, after she asks Him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw."  Again, another parallel with that scene is the abundance of the "living" water Jesus teaches her about, like the water that fills these waterpots turned to the symbol of life, the wine.  Indeed, we can make the case for insistent women all throughout the Gospels in so many events!  (See, for example, the woman who touched His hem, the Syro-Phoenician woman, and of course Jesus' relationship with the sisters of Lazarus, which we will read about when John gives us the seventh and greatest sign in his Gospel, the raising of Lazarus).  All of this is to say we go back to this key relationship to the woman who gave birth to Christ, the one who serves as "chief intercessor" to so many faithful.  In this text, written by the disciple whom Jesus would call upon to care for His mother after His death (John 19:26), we're given hints about her relationship to her Son, her privileged position of understanding His identity long before anyone else did, and sharing the mystery of His life.  Her faith in Him is complete confidence, but the Church reads her prompting here as intercession on behalf of those who have no wine.  One simply has to wonder what kind of woman it would take to be mother to Jesus, who could love and bear Him into the world, be faithful throughout His ministry, and through the hardships to come?  She is the saint who prays for all of us, whose compassion and understanding has been testified to throughout the history of the Church and those who call upon her as saint to pray for them as well.  But let us remember her confidence, and most of all her loving Son who accepts her request on behalf of everyone at this wedding feast.