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

 

Icon of Mary titled "Unfading Rose" (Ρόδον τό Ἀμάραντον).  Christ is the Unfading Rose to whom Mary gave birth.  The Akathist hymn to Mary declares, "Rejoice, O thou who alone hast blossomed forth the unfading Rose"

 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galiliee, 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 of Jesus' 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 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, "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 Galiliee, and the mother of Jesus was there.  Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding.   My study bible explains that the setting of the wedding in Cana is significant.  In the Old Testament, marriage feasts symbolized the union of God with God's Bride, Israel.  Jesus begins His ministry at Galilee, which had a large Gentile population.  My study bible says that this was a sign of the spread of the gospel to al the world.  That the wedding takes place on the third day gives a resurrectional flavor; it shows that the marriage of God and God's Church will be fulfilled in the Resurrection of Christ.  There are also other parallels between this marriage account and the story of the Resurrection in John 20:1-18:  both involve a woman named Mary who makes an appeal, and in both passages the disciples are invited to witness the event.  Moreover, the John's Resurrection account (John 20:11-18) has a strong similarity to Song of Solomon 3:1-5, again giving us a unity between marriage and Christ's Resurrection.   Let us note also that on Saturday, we were given the fourth day of Jesus' ministry, but here this wedding takes place on the sixth day.  On the third day is an expression which is inclusive of the current day in its calculation:  therefore this is actually two days after the "fourth day."  This wedding in Cana parallels the creation of man and woman on the sixth day in Genesis 1:26-31.  By Christ's presence at this wedding, He declares marriage to be holy and honorable (Hebrews 13:4).  In the Orthodox tradition, this passage is read at weddings, and images from it are 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 says that this is an example of Mary's gift of intercession.  Even now, it says, Mary continually speaks to her Son on our behalf and is our preeminent intercessor before Christ's Throne.  An Orthodox prayer states, "The intercessions of a mother have great effect to win the favor of the Master."  This is confirmed as Jesus grants her request here.   It also should be noted that wine is symbolic of life, therefore there are two levels of meaning to Mary's statement, when she informs Jesus, "They have no wine."    First, a marriage isn't complete without Christ's presence, and second, the old covenant was unable to bestow life even on the most faithful people.  Regarding Jesus' use of the term Woman for His mother, my study bible says that "Woman" is a sacred title in Scripture in contrast to some modern uses.  In Scripture it conveys deep respect and distinction (see John 4:21, 8:10, 19:26, 20:13; compare to Genesis 2:23).  Jesus' question to Mary, What does your concern have to do with Me? is important to ponder.  In Greek it reads more literally, "What is that to Me and to you?"   My study bible says that it is not a refusal of Mary's intercession but rather a declaration by Jesus that the time has not yet come for Him to be revealed -- as via an extraordinary sign.  Let us note Mary's confident reply to the servants.

 

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 impurity.  That there are six (that is, one less than the perfect seven) is an indication that the Law, 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.  The overabundant gallons of wine is an illustration of the overflowing grace granted by Christ to all.  That Jesus chooses to fulfill Mary's request teaches us 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.  Third, we need to have perseverance in our petitions before God (Matthew 15:21-28).  Finally, that the intercessions of the righteous have great power (James 5:16).  

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!"   According to patristic commentary, the transformation of water that was made wine is a prefiguration of 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.  The wedding in Cana of Galilee is the setting for the first of seven signs which are performed by Jesus in the Gospel of John.  John's Gospel 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.  As John writes, they manifested His glory.  The seven signs are (1) changing water into wine (John 2:1-11, in today's reading), (2) curing the nobleman's sons (John 4:46-54), (3) healing the paralytic (John 5:1-15), (4) feeding the five thousand (John 6:1-14), (5) walking on water (John 6:15-21), (6) opening the eyes of a blind man (John 9:1-41), and (7) raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11:38-44).   Here in these verses we are given the seventh day of this first week of Christ's ministry, in which Jesus rests at Capernaum with His mother, His brothers, and His disciples.  It is a parallel to God resting on the seventh day in Genesis 2:1-3.

We can consider the ways in which this miracle or sign in John's Gospel is highly significant, but one of them that we can't leave out is simply the presence of Mary, the Mother of God, and the role she plays in bringing about this first sign of turning water into wine.  It seems to tell us a number of things about her and about the role she plays in the work of salvation, in the life of Jesus Christ.  She is not just His mother, not just a woman who gave birth, as if all God needed was some random woman to place God's Son into the world as a human being, both fully divine and fully human.   No, Mary plays an important role, and she played that role in the life of the author of this Gospel, John the Evangelist, as he testifies in chapter 19 of this Gospel.  John writes, "Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.  When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!”  Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home"  (John 19:25-27).    As it was common for writers not to give their own names, many patristic commentators throughout the centuries have held that this disciple whom Jesus loved is John, the purported author of the Gospel, and this is the tradition of the Church.  So important is this commission of the care of Mary that the very next verse tells us, "After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, 'I thirst!' " (John 19:28).  This final and last task of Christ's human life, the care of His mother, is significant enough to be reported to us by John, and notable in its declaration that Mary had but one Child, Jesus (otherwise this assignment to John's care would have been unthinkable).   This is all significant information in terms of what we can assume to be John's closeness and familiarity with Mary, and thereby also her place in this story.  As the mother of Christ, she is the one who kept the secrets prophesied about him.  Twice in Luke's Gospel, we are told that Mary was witness to the marvelous things revealed about her child, and that she "kept all these things in her heart" (see verses 19 and 51 in Luke chapter 2).  There is no other human being who knew Jesus as did His mother in this sense, and from this we must conclude that she is a special human being indeed, and chosen by God to be His mother for important reasons.  Her character was such that she stood by Him all through His life (despite the difficulties His ministry no doubt presented; see Mark 3:21, 31-32).  Her faith on display here in today's reading is a part of that confidence in Him and His mission and identity in the world.  As such, Mary stands out among all the saints and Christ's followers as one who displays an unshakeable faith for us all to behold and emulate and understand.  Moreover, since it is this first revelation of His glory that she sparks through her plea -- which we might read as a prayer -- then Mary also provides the model for us all in terms of prayer and intercession.  It is Mary who intercedes through prayer on behalf of this wedding party, when she knowingly tells Jesus, "They have no wine."  So she shows herself not only as a model of prayer for each of us, for we all have the power to act as intercessors on others' behalf through prayer, but she also reveals her power to intercede on our behalf.  Mary is part of what St. Paul calls the "great cloud of witnesses" (Hebrews 12:1-3).  That is, those who live to God (Luke 20:37-38), who dwell in a place of the eternal present, and upon whom we also may call for prayer in the same way that you or I may pray for one another or call upon any other believer in Christ to pray for and with us.  This is the great role Mary has played in the Church for centuries, as intercessor and fellow pray-er with each one and all who call upon her.  It is why there are so many varied icons of Mary in the Orthodox tradition, and this testifies not just to a theoretical understanding of the role of saints, but to centuries of countless stories of experience for individual believers and their own acts and intercessions with Mary in prayer.  Atop all of these considerations, there is one more story to understand about this interaction between Mary and her Son.  In the Greek, when Jesus says, "What does your concern have to do with Me?" it is a precise quotation from an Old Testament story in the Septuagint Version.  In fact, when the Gospels quote from the Old Testament, as a rule of thumb it is from the Septuagint Version.  In this case, it is from the story of Zarabeth and Elijah in 1 Kings 17:17-18.  Zarabeth's son has passed after she helped Elijah.  In the New King James Version in English, she asks, "What have I to do with you, O man of God? Have you come to me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to kill my son?"  But in the Greek Septuagint, her words are literally the same as Jesus' when He asks this question to Mary, which we could loosely translate as "What is that to me and to you?"  In effect, Jesus is quoting this passage back to His mother, reminding her that once He is revealed -- that is, once this process of signs revealing His glory begins -- there will be no turning back.  It is the prophesied sword that would pierce her own soul He is reminding her and warning her about -- the she is the mother who will lose her Son.  See Simeon's prophecy to Mary in Luke 2:34-35.  There is a tremendous depth and sympathy of mother and Son revealed here if we but look at it with proper eyes tuned to understanding the Scripture as it is laid out for us.  Mary, in this light, is a very special woman indeed.  To the Church, she has always remained the greatest saint.  As fully human, Mary is the one who kept her faith intact throughout the trial and difficulties of her Son's life and ministry.  Here she initiates the first sign given by John, and we might add the possibility that it is her loving Son who makes certain that she is ready for what is to come.  She is, effectively, a model not just for our prayer but also for a depth of communion with Christ.  We can but aspire to build and grow in such a life for ourselves, and through prayer as she models.  Let us turn to her when our own prayer lives need help, for she is at once kind, gentle, and strong.  She is also known -- as is her Son -- as the one who turns no one away.  We are left to ponder how much of her human nature was given to her Son, how much of His tremendous compassion, mercy, and forbearance also existed in His mother, in addition to His divine nature.  It would become a central question of the early Church to understand that His mind and soul were human, just as was His flesh.  And so, we also have Mary to look to in the shaping of these components of Christ's human nature.  Let us seek her out, for she plays a role far beyond that of being a human chosen for her capacity to be a mother.  In the Eastern Church, she is titled the Mother of God or "God-Bearer" for a reason far beyond the physical act of bearing a Child.  None of us should forget that bearing a child, or being a mother in any capacity, is a sacred role, and so much depends on how this role is filled.  We diminish women and the body when we make it anything less.  Mary as faithful still directs us all to the word of Christ as she tells the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it."