More Notes On John 2:1-12, The Wedding At Cana

One may wish to read my previous post on John 2:1-12 which looked at the context and structure of the passage.

Jn 2:1 On the third day there was a marriage at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.

On the third day is an allusion to the last day mentioned; the day on which Jesus met Philip and said to Nathanael: “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man” (see Jn 1:43-51).

Some scholars see a reference to 7 days in 1:19-2:1, and hold that John is hinting at a new week of creation, thus the Jerome Biblical Commentary: “Similarly, it is surely no accident that the first witness of the Baptist (Jn 1:19ff.) is climaxed seven days later in Jesus’ own witness to Himself, in the first manifestation of his glory at Cana” (JBC., 63:31; see also 63:48).

Father Francis J. Moloney, in his Sacra Pagina Commentary on the Gospel of John sees something else in the time references.  Most notably, he see the third day reference of Jn 2:1 as an allusion to Exodus 19-24 where the ten commandments and Sinai legislation are given and God manifests his glory on the third day.

Parallels between these Exodus chapters and John 2:1-12 are the following:
The third day: Ex 19:10-11, 15…Jn 2:1.

“All the lord has said we will do” (Ex 19:8; 24:3, 7)…”Do whatever He tells you” (Jn 2:5).

The Lord reveals His glory (Ex 19:16-19; 24:17)…”Manifested His Glory” (Jn 2:11).  Note:  Ex 19: 16 speaks of a thick cloud (Hebrew: kabed anan) descending onto Sinai.  Kabed is virtually identical to kabod (glory) used in Ex 24:17.  The Greek doxa used in Jn 2:11 is equivalent.

The ten commandments and the Sinai legislation are God’s words and they reveal God’s will, focusing on man’s relation with God and with his fellow man. The Word made flesh, our Lord Jesus Christ, reveals the same in His Person, teaching, and work (see especially Jn 13:33-14:31). 

A marriage at Cana in Galilee.  Even among the poorer classes wedding feasts would be quite elaborate, with many relatives and neighbors contributing to help the couple. 

The mother of Jesus was there.  This detail, mentioned at the very beginning of the episode, hints that she will have a roll to play in what is about to be narrated. 

Jn 2:2  Jesus also was invited to the marriage, with his disciples.

Some are of the opinion that the Greek may suggest that the invitation was hospitable rather than formal, i.e., they were not originally expected as having been formally invited, but the fact that they were in the region at the time necessitated their being invited, an act in accord with the hospitality of the time.  If true, this may account for the wine running out.

Notice that only Jesus, Mary and the disciples are said to be at the wedding as the episode opens, but when it closes Jesus’ brothers will also be mentioned.  This may be important, and I’ll attempt explaining it below. 

Marriage.  May be understood here as a symbol.  Israel had become like a bride to God, only to be corrupted by the ways of Canaan (Jer 2:2-7), but God had promised new nuptials: “The messianic symbolism of the miracle becomes evident when the reader recalls that messianic days are described in the Old Testament as days of God’s new nuptials with Israel (Hos 2:16-25; Isa 54:4-8; 62:4-5; Matt 22:1-14; Jn 3:39; Rev 19:7-9)” (Peter F. Ellis, THE GENIUS OF JOHN).

Jn 2:3  When the wine failed, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.”

When the wine failed.  Actually, the Greek (ὑστερέω=hustereo)̄ describes the wine as “lacking”, which need not necessarily imply its sudden absence but, rather, it’s imperfection or lack of quality.  Note that the latter reference to the wine (vs 10) doesn’t speak of absence either, but of better wine coming after inferior.

An abundance of wine symbolizes God’s blessings, redemption, and the messianic age.  A lack of wine would symbolize the lack of these things (Deut 28:30, 31, 38, 39; Hos 2:10-11; Joel 1:5; Amos 5:11) .  The abundance of good wine heralds the dawn of the messianic age and its gifts and blessings (Joel 2:19, 24; 4:18; Amos 9:13-15; Jer 31:12-13).  I do not think that the wine ran out, rather I think our Lord replaced the inferior wine of the Old Covenant with the better wine of the New Covenant.  “The law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (Jn 1:17).

Jn 2:4 And Jesus said to her, “O woman, what have you to do with me? My hour has not yet come.”

Several times in this Gospel Jesus responds to people with apparent harshness, but this is done to elicit faith (e.g., see the healing of the official’s son in 4:46-54).  Our Lady, like many OT figures, just will not take no for an answer (see next verse).  What we have here is not arrogance, but rather a humble, confident faith (see Gen 18:16-32; Ex 33:12-34:9; 2 Kings 4:14-28).  I see the purpose of our Blessed Lord’s question adequately explained by the very next verse:

Jn 2:5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Here in a nutshell is what Mary has to do with Jesus.  Note the words of our Lady echo those spoken by the people on Sinai, as mentioned earlier.  The words, like the theme of marriage and wine are covenant motifs.

Jn 2:6-8. Now six stone jars were standing there, for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim.  8 He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the steward of the feast.” So they took it.

Mary’s command, along with what is narrated here forms what scholars call a command and compliance narrative.  Note that our Blessed Lord’s actions (think grace here) are required for the fulfillment of our Lady’s command. 

They filled them up to the brim.  Literally “up to the above”, i.e., overflowing.  Their is an emphasis on the amount of wine, as later their will be an emphasis on its quality.  The new surpasses the old in every way.

Stone jars for the rites of purification.  The rites of purification is to be replaced by the shedding of Jesus blood, made available sacramentally at the Eucharist: “And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Matt 26:27-28).

Jn 2:9 When the steward of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward of the feast called the bridegroom 2:10 and said to him, “Every man serves the good wine first; and when men have drunk freely, then the poor wine; but you have kept the good wine until now.”

Water now become wine.  Literally “made” or “born into” wine.  As noted in a previous post this provides a parallel with the discourse to Nicodemus.  On the basis of the structure of John’s Gospel as proposed by Peter F. Ellis I believe that the Cana sign is meant to be seen in relation to the teaching of the Nicodemus discourse.  Jesus, who has the power to make/birth water into wine has the power to remake/rebirth us from above. 

The servants who had drawn the water knew.  They know because they fulfilled the command “Do whatever he tells you” (vs 5).  “He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me; and he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” Jesus answered him, “If a man loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him” (Jn 14:21-23).

Jn 2:11  This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory; and his disciples believed in him. 

The relationship between sign, glory, and belief in 2:11 are important, because the three are frequently associated in John’s Gospel.  It is no accident, therefore, that the climax of the story combines the three concepts.  The sign-miracle testifies to the union of Jesus and the Father, and therefore to Jesus’ glory, which will be revealed fully only in the ‘hour’ of his passion, death, and resurrection (cf. Jn 12:23; 13:1; 17:24).  Jesus glory is his total union with the Father.  The miracle manifests this union inasmuch as it testifies to Jesus’ oneness with the Father in the working of the sign.  The belief of the disciples is related to their ability to see, inchoatively at least, that such a miracle involves the union of Jesus with the Father.  It testifies, therefore, to the truth of Jesus’ claims.  The reference to the disciples recalls 2:2 and links the episode with 1:35-51 and especially with 1:51-the programmatic text for the remainder of the Gospel (Peter F. Ellis, THE GENIUS OF JOHN, pg. 43).

John 1:51 concerns Jesus’ promise to Nathaniel: “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.”  Our Lord is alluding to Jacob’s dream in Gen 28:11-13.  Because of his revelatory dream Jacob called the place “the house of God” and “the gate of heaven.”  Our Lord is now the locus of revelation.

Jn 2:12  After this he went down to Capernaum, with his mother and his brothers and his disciples; and there they stayed for a few days.

As noted previously, the brothers were not mentioned as having been at the wedding, just our Lord with his mother and disciples.  Some very good manuscripts read here: “After this he went down to Capernuam, with his mother and his brothers; and they stayed there for a few days.” The perceptive reader will have noticed that in these manuscripts the disciples are not mentioned in vs 12.  I believe this is the correct reading, but it introduces a question: If the disciples were mentioned in vs 2 but not in vs 12; and if the brothers are mentioned in vs 12 but not vs 2; then where did the disciple go, and where did the brothers come from?

I would suggest that the disciples mentioned in vs 2 have become the brothers of vs 12 as a result of their belief.  This fits well with the only other episode where Mary appears in the Gospel, at the crucifixion, the hour of Jesus glory, when she becomes the mother of the Beloved Disciple who witnessed the hour of Jesus.  “When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son!’  Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother!’ And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home…But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water.  He who saw it has borne witness — his testimony is true, and he knows that he tells the truth — that you also may believe” (Jn 19:26-27, 34-35).

My Notes On John 2:1-12, The Wedding Feast At Cana

The following is a re-post of an earlier entry and has been modified slightly.  It is not an exposition of the text but rather an overview of the context and structure. I have also posted verse by verse notes on the text here. Both post are included in this week’s Resources For Sunday Mass, which contains a number of online resources relating to the wedding at Cana. The structural outlines below are based upon those found in THE GENIUS OF JOHN by Peter F. Ellis.

Outline: Note the color-coded/structural parallels.

A1)  2:1-2 And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there; and Jesus was also bidden, and his disciples, to the marriage.

• B1)  2:3-5 When the wine failed, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, “they have no wine.”  And Jesus saith unto her, “Woman, what have you to do with me?  Mine hour is not yet come.”  His mother saith unto the servants, “whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.

• C)    2:6-8  Now there were six waterpots of stone set there in accord with the Jew’s manner of purifying, containing twenty or thirty gallons each.  Jesus saith unto them, “fill the water pots with water.”  And they filled them up to the brim.  And he saith unto them, “draw some out now and take it to the steward of the feast.”  So they took it.

• B2)  2:9-10 And when the steward of the feast tasted the water now made (Gr. ginomai) wine, and knew not whence it was from (but the servants that had drawn the water knew), the steward of the feast calleth the bridegroom, and saith unto him, “Every man sets out first the good wine; and when men have drunk freely, then that which is worse; but you have kept the good wine until know.”

A2)  2:11-12 This beginning of his signs did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested his glory; and his disciples believed in him.  After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples; and they abode there not many days.

Notice how the A1 and A2 sections parallel one another.  Both narrate a change in place, involving going to (A1) and away from (A2) Cana of Galilee. Each movement is associated with a short period of days.  Jesus, his mother, and the disciples are mentioned.

In B1 and B2 parallels are seen between wine and servants.

This sort of reverse parallelism is known as “concentrism”, “complex inclusion-conclusion narrative,” or “concentric circle presentation,” and it is a very popular literary device in Johns Gospel and the Bible as a whole.

The center around which the parallels are built (the “C” section, vss 6-8) often provide and interpretive key to the overall narrative.  In this case, the “C” section is what scholars call  “command and compliance narrative.”  Jesus issues a command and it is fullfilled.  The result of this is that the servants “know” where the good wine came from and the “disciples” see manifested Jesus’ glory and believe in him.

As I noted in a previous post, 2:1-12 forms the second part of a broader literary unit, 1:19-4:3, which itself is concentrically arraigned:

A1. ( 1:19-51) The WITNESS of the BAPTIST and the call of the first DISCIPLES.

• B1. (2:1-12) WATER MADE (Greek: GINOMAI) wine.  MOTHER.  DO whatever HE tells you.  Jars filled “TO THE BRIM” (Gr.  ANO=literally “ABOVE“)

• C.   (2:13-25)   Jesus purifies temple.  Speaks about the destruction of His temple/body.

• B2  (3:1-21) A man must be BORN (Gr. GENNAO) from ABOVE (Gr. ANO) of WATER and Spirit rather than again by his MOTHER.  DOING DEEDS in                                         the LIGHT (parallels HE in B1).

A2  (3:22-4:3) The BAPTIST gives a second WITNESS.  This is motivated by the fact that Jesus is making more DISCIPLES than the BAPTIST

Notice how the Cana episode, where water is literally “born” into wine, parallels the discourse to Nicodemus about rebirth through water and Spirit.  Only those who do whatever Jesus tells them to do (2:5), who come to Jesus the light (1:4-5), and do deeds in the light (3:19-21), can understand where the good wine of a new life comes from.  Those who are reluctant to come to Jesus cannot understand this (3:10-11).

(UPDATED)Resources For Sunday Mass, January 17th (Both Forms of the Rite)

Note: this post contains links to resources relating to BOTH the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite (i.e., “the Novo Ordo,” the “Mass of Vatican II”) and the Extraordinary Form (i.e., “The Latin Mass.”  All resources in English).  Concerning the two forms see here.

ORDINARY FORM: Second Sunday in Ordinary Time.  Note that the Gospel reading for this Sunday is identical in both the Ordinary and Extraordinary forms of the rite.  You may wish to consult the resources for the Gospel (mostly sermons) listed under EXTRAORDINARY FORM below.

Readings.  NAB translation.

Readings With Commentary.  From A Catholic Site.  The lectionary readings according to the Douay-Rheims Challoner translation along with commentary from the old Haydock Bible Commentary. Note: readings come first as a group, followed by commentary.

Update My Notes On John 2:1-12.  Focuses upon context and structure.  An update of something I posted a few years ago.

Update Further Notes On John 2:1-12.  Also by me.  Contains notes on the verses.

Update Study On The Wedding Feast Of Cana.  Half-hour audio.  Part of a study on John from EWTN.

Update Prepare For Mass.  Mostly videos relating to the Gospel.  Contains some links.

Navarre Bible Commentary.  Time sensitive links.  Site includes text from the Catholic Edition of the RSV along with commentary from the famous Navarre Bible.

• First Reading/Commentary.
• Second Reading/Commentary.
• Gospel Reading/Commentary.

Sunday Gospel Scripture Study.  Excellent!  Online audio or video presentation 66 minutes long.  You can subscribe to it via itunes.

Word Sunday.  Very Good.  The text of the readings usually using both popular and literal trnaslation, includes notes and commentary.  Click on the homepage for even more resources than those listed here:

• FIRST READING The message from so-called “Thrid Isaiah” spoke to vision, seeing potential in the midst of squaller. Jerusalem had be devastated by the Babylonian Exile, but would revive, despite the low mood of the returnees.
• PSALM Psalm 96 is a praise hymn, not only for the nation, but for all nations.
• SECOND READING St. Paul wrote the assembly in Corinth about the spiritual gifts. They might vary in type and degree, but they are all present to do one thing, promote the faith, not the ego.
• GOSPEL John’s Gospel presented the famous Wedding at Cana, where Jesus was shamed by his mother to perform his first public sign. Changing water into wine was a sign that resonated with his followers and caused belief.

Lector Notes.  Time sensitive link.  Provides brief summaries of the readings followed by short but useful explanations of the historical and theological or liturgical setting.  Also provides brief suggestions on how a lector should “proclaim” (i.e., read) the text.  Printed, the content could serve as a handout inserted into the parish bulletin or for discussion groups.  Site includes links to the readings according to the Jerusalem Bible Translation.

Praying Towards Sunday.  Prayer suggestions, points for reflection and meditation.

Spirituality Of The Readings.  After a brief treatment of the liturgy’s “Ordinary Time” period the author relates the first reading with the Gospel.

In Exile: The Eucharist As Reconciliation.  I found this brief essay to be very good.

Thoughts From The Early Church.  St Maximus of Turin on the wedding at Cana.

The Word In Depth.  I especially  liked the overview of the first reading (Isaiah), and the second reading (Corinthians).

EXTRAORDINARY FORM: Second Sunday After Epiphany.

Online Missal For This Sunday.  Latin and English.  Contains the readings, Introit, Collect, Gradual, etc.

Devout Instructions On The Epistles and Gospels.  Much the same content as previous link but with various instructions/teachings added.  Also includes instructions on matrimony.

Homily On The Epistle.  Online book contains Epistle reading and homily.  Site contains zoom feature to increase text size in needed.

Homily On The Gospel.  From the same online book as the previous homily.

On The Sacrament Of Matrimony.  Online book.  A sermon on John 2:2.

Augustine On The Gospel.  Begins near bottom of page.

Note: The next several links are to sermon outlines which you may find useful for providing points for meditation, reflection and study.

Fervor and Tepidity.  A sermon outline to Rom 12:11.

Cursing.  A sermon outline on Rom 12:14.

Revenge.  A sermon outline on Rom 12:19.  Not part of today’s reading but related to the cursing text above and so included here.

Apostolic Counsels.  A sermon outline on Rom 12:16.

St Thomas Aquinas’ Lecture On John 2:1-10.  Biblical lecture not directly related to the liturgy.

St Thomas Aquinas’ Lectures on Romans 12:4-13 and 12: 14-21.  The text is available only in pdf so I cannot link directly to the page.  Once on the site find the text box next to the blue arrow.  It will have the number 1 in it followed by /610.  Delete the 1 in the box and type in the page number 482, then hit the enter key on your computer keyboard. Biblical lecture not directly related to the liturgy.

Spiritual Thought: January 16th

Even in this solitude into which God has led me, where everything helps to uplift the soul to Him, where neither the pomp nor the falsehood of the world can penetrate; even here we are in danger’s way, even here we have the battle with self and with the devil, and conquer we cannot unless by taking to ourselves the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God.  In every deed the life of man on earth is a warfare.~Blessed Antonio Rosmini Serbati, Letter #786

For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places. (Eph 6:12).