Whatever He says to you, do it

 

Deesis mosaic ("Prayer") with Mary the Theotokos and St. John the Baptist in prayer before Christ on His right and left; Hagia Sophia cathedral, 13th century, Constantinople, Byzantine Empire

 

 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 our readings brought us the fourth day given in this beginning of Christ's public ministry.  After gathering His first disciples from St. John the Baptist, 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.  The third day indicates that this is the sixth day of Christ's public ministry given in St. John's Gospel.  In yesterday's reading, we were given the fourth day.  "The third day" counts the skipped middle day (the fifth) in the calculation, and so this is the sixth.  My study Bible notes that Jesus begins His ministry at Galilee, which had a large Gentile population; this is a sign of the spread of the gospel to all the world.  The setting here is significant, as in the Old Testament, marriage feasts symbolized the union of God and God's Bride, Israel. "The third day" also gives a resurrectional tone to this event, showing that the marriage of God and God's Church will be fulfilled in Christ's Resurrection.    My study Bible adds that by His presence at this wedding, Jesus further declares marriage to be holy and honorable (Hebrews 13:4).  Today's passage is read at Orthodox weddings, and the images given to us by St. John are incorporated into many prayers in the wedding service. 

 

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."  My study Bible says that this is an example given to us of Mary's gift of intercession.  Even now, Mary the Theotokos ("God-bearer") continually speaks to her Son on our behalf, and she is our preeminent intercessor before His Throne.  This is declared in an Orthodox prayer:  "The intercessions of a mother have great effect to win the favor of the Master."  This we see in today's reading, as Jesus grants her request.  Additionally, my study Bible teaches, in this passage wine is symbolic of life, and so there are two levels of meaning to Mary's statement, "They have no wine."  First, 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.  In terms of Jesus' seeming protest to His mother, my study Bible notes that, contrary to certain modern usages, Woman is a sacred title in Scripture; it's an address which conveys deep respect and distinction (John 4:21; 8:10; 19:26; 20:13; compare to Genesis 2:23).  Jesus statement, "What does your concern have to do with Me?" is more closely rendered, "What is that to me and to you?"  However, in the Greek of the Gospel this phrase Christ utters is identical to the widow Zarephath's question to Elijah after she has lost her son following her help to the prophet in the Septuagint version of 1 Kings 17:18 (in Greek, τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοί) .  Jesus' answer, therefore, is not a refusal of Mary's intercession, but a warning to her and a reminder they must both be ready for what will follow once His signs begin.

 

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!"  My study Bible tells us that waterpots were made of stone because, in accordance with rabbinical teaching, stone would not contract ritual impurity.  That there are six (one less than the perfect seven), it says, is an indication that the Law, illustrated by water being reserved for Jewish purification, was incomplete, imperfect, and unable to bestow life.  This water changed into wine therefore symbolizes the old covenant being fulfilled in the new, which is capable of bestowing life.  The overabundant gallons of wine are an image of the overflowing grace Christ grants to all.  In patristic commentary, this transformation of water to wine 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.  Christ's glory is the expression of His divine power and His compassion for human beings.  Thus the signs He performs point to His identity and manifest His glory.  On this seventh day given in St. John's Gospel, Jesus rests, together with His mother, His brothers, and His disciples, in a parallel to the seventh day given in Genesis 2:1-3.

 

 In today's reading, we get a glimpse of what we know as intercession, and in particular the intercessory capacity of the mother of Jesus, Mary the Theotokos.  For the Orthodox and others, such as Roman Catholics, Mary is the supreme saint who may intercede and pray for us.  We ask her to pray for us, just as we might ask one another to pray for ourselves or others for whom we have concern.  St. Paul speaks about the communion of saints when he references the "great cloud of witnesses" with which we're surrounded (Hebrews 12:1).  That is, all those who are alive in Christ, the living body of the faithful, which extends beyond time and beyond this world as we know it, including the angels, with whom we pray and worship at each liturgy.  This is the faith and understanding of ancient tradition and the earliest Church.  But Mary, the mother of Jesus, plays a stronger role for us than simply "intercessor" in today's reading.  For perhaps it is rare that we get a glimpse of her in terms of this role that so mirrors the experience of millions, if not billions, of faithful who pray with her and seek her prayers for them in return.  (See the image above, the mosaic titled Deesis, in which she prays for all.  Magnify to see her tender expression.)  In today's reading, we are given her compassion, her concern for others, because at this wedding they have run out of wine.  Let us consider the stakes of what is to come:  she has been warned from Christ's infancy that pain will come to her in her life in her very special role as the mother of Jesus.  This was given to her in a form of prophecy when Jesus was forty days old, and they came to the temple for her purification and Christ's presentation in accordance with the Law (see Luke 2:25-35, especially the prophecy given to Mary by Simeon in verse 35).  And it is in this context only that Christ's words to her make sense, as they come directly from the Old Testament:  τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοί, spoken by the widow Zarephath at the death of her son (1 Kings 17:17-24; verse 18 in particular).  These glimpses of Mary given in St. John's Gospel are interesting in particular because we know that from the Cross, Jesus gave the care of His mother over to St. John, the beloved disciple (John 13:23; 19:25-27).  So the expression of Mary's character, her intercession and her compassion, tell us a lot about her own identity and role in the salvation plan of the Church, including for you and I, for whom she still serves as a great intercessor and remains "most blessed among women" (Luke 1:28, 42).  Let us not forget she is the one chosen to give her humanity to the Christ, and that her character and that of St. Joseph no doubt played a role in the shaping of His human understanding.  She made every sacrifice for her Son, and here He is asking her if she is really ready to initiate what is to come through her prayer to Him for the needed wine at this wedding, even the words of a widow lamenting her son.  Her answer is clear when she tells the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it."  So we should take these words of his mother, Mary, and apply them to ourselves also, for we need to follow if we are to be good servants in turn.  Like so many have discovered, she always leads the way to her Son, as can be seen in every icon of the Theotokos.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

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).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come

 

 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.  The wedding in Cana is the setting for the first of seven miracles or "signs" performed by Jesus in John's Gospel.  Marriage feasts, my study Bible explains, symbolized the union of God with His Bride, Israel, according to the Old Testament.  Jesus begins His ministry at Galilee, which had a large Gentile population.  So this is 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 explains that this shows that the marriage of God and God's Church will be fulfilled in Christ's Resurrection.  Additionally, we may understand that by Christ's presence at this wedding, marriage is further declared by Him to be holy and honorable (Hebrews 13:4).  In the Orthodox Church this passage is read at weddings, and its images 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 has extensive commentary on this passage.  First, this an example of Mary's gift of intercession.  Even now, my study Bible explains, Mary continually speaks to her Son on our behalf, and she is our preeminent intercessor before His Throne.  An Orthodox prayer states, "The intercessions of a mother have great effect to win the favor of the Master."  This is affirmed in the granting of her request by Christ in this passage.  Additionally, wine is symbolic of life, and so there are two levels of meaning to Mary's statement, "They have no wine."  First, a marriage is not complete without Christ's presence.  Second, the old covenant was not able to bestow life even on the most faithful people.  Jesus uses the title Woman to address His mother.  My study Bible comments on this that "Woman" is a sacred title in Scripture.  It is an address that conveys deep respect and distinction (John 4:21, 8:10, 19:26, 20:13; compare to Genesis 2:23).  Jesus asks His mother, What does your concern have to do with Me?  More literally, this reads, "What is that to Me and to you?"  This is not a refusal of Mary's intercession, but a declaration that the time had not yet come for Him to be revealed.  Moreover, it is also Mary who must consider what will come for her once Christ begins to be revealed in His public ministry.  These words in Greek are an exact mirror of the words in the Septuagint (Greek) version of the Old Testament with which the widow at Zarephath addresses Elijah, upon the death of her son which followed her help to the prophet (1 Kings 17:17-18). Jesus is forewarning His mother, in some sense, what she will also experience.  That He fulfills her request teaches several things.  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 so that they might learn that it is Christ who fulls 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 would not contract ritual impurity.  My study Bible comments that there are six -- one less than the perfect or complete seven -- indicating that the Law, illustrated by water reserved for Jewish purification, was incomplete, imperfect, and unable to bestow life.  This water is changed into wine, and thus it symbolizes the old covenant being fulfilled in the new -- which is indeed capable of bestowing life.  The overabundant gallons of wine show us Christ's grace for grace which overflows and 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!"  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.  John uses the term signs for the miracles performed by Jesus to show that these miraculous actions are pointing beyond themselves, and to the truth that the Kingdom of God has come among us in the Person of Jesus Christ. 

 

 "Signs" are things that point to something else, and John's Gospel is the gospel of signs.  There will be seven signs given altogether:  the first is the one we read about today, the changing of water to wine.  The others that follow will be the curing of a nobleman's son (John 4:46-54), the healing of a paralytic (John 5:1-15), the feeding of five thousand (John 6:1-14), walking on water (John 6:15-21); opening the eyes of a blind man (John 9:1-41), and raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11:38-44).  Each sign gives a divine attribute of Jesus Christ, revealing His identity as Son, and as my study Bible says, teaching us about the presence of the Kingdom of God among us.  These are the ways in which we know and understand who Jesus is, just as from the beginning of the Gospel, John has let us know that He is the Light, and also the Word.  In connection with this understanding that He is the Word, the Gospel began with the words "In the beginning," giving us a parallel to the creation story of Genesis 1.  Today's reading concerns the sixth and seventh days of this first week of Christ's earthly ministry.  On Saturday, we read about events of the fourth day given in the Gospel.  Today's reading begins with the phrase "on the third day."  This phrase actually means "two days later," as it includes the current day in the calculation.  The wedding takes place, therefore, on the sixth day, reflecting the creation of man and woman on the sixth day of the creation story in Genesis 1:26-31.  Finally, we're given the seventh day of Christ's ministry, in which Jesus rests at Capernaum with His mother, His brothers, and His disciples. echoing the Genesis creation story in which God rested on the seventh day (Genesis 2:1-3).  Each of these facets of this Gospel -- the seven signs, as well as these first seven days of Christ's earthly ministry, and combined with the Prologue introducing us to the Son and Word -- give us elements that point beyond themselves to the divine reality of God, even of the Son, the second Person of the Trinity, who has come to us as Jesus.  It's crucially important to remember that the story of Jesus Christ is not the story of two parallel worlds, earthly and divine, but rather the story of how the Kingdom of God has come into the world, and Christ has come to us as both fully human and fully divine.  Our faith is not one meant to be understood as one that separates the created world from the divine, but quite the opposite.  It is a story of God coming to erase that separation, to claim us as God's own, to bring God's Kingdom into the world, just as Jesus will teach us to pray to our Father, "Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10).   While the evil in the world gives us a stark contrast to the ways in which Christ teaches us to live, let us not forget that the Cross becomes the meeting place for all.  It's where Christ must go -- and it is the hour of His glory to which He refers in today's reading in His response to His mother.  This is in keeping with His words given in this Gospel (see John 12:27-33).  For God reaching to us is the story of Jesus Christ, and the revelation of God who is love (1 John 4:8).  God has come into the world as one of us, to extend love and grace to us, to claim us back in full union through that grace and by adoption, to leave us with the gift of the Holy Spirit always with us.  This world, if we but seek it, is permeated with grace, even (for so it appears at the Cross) in the seeming worst of times.  Let us remember to live in His light, walk in His light, be grateful for His grace, and always seek that Kingdom He brings to us in the midst of our lives and of this world.  For where two or three are gathered in His name, He is there in the midst of us (Matthew 18:20), and His Kingdom is indeed within us and among us (Luke 17:21).   The myriad saints, known and unknown, testify to this ongoing intervention of the Kingdom in our world, even as angels of heaven always accompany us to help (Matthew 18:10).  Let us look to the fullness of marriage as the full union of God with God's people and the destiny for which Christ has come into the world as one of us.  Even so, the paradox of our faith appears in this first sign which comes at the instigation of a saintly woman, by whom we are all blessed as we, too, may become her children, with Him. 

 

 

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. 

 

 

 

 

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.