INVITATION TO THE WEDDING

I usually like weddings. If it's in our family, we ensure everything is perfect, with no shortcomings or mistakes. That’s the place where a new family is being formed, new relationships are being made. A new dream is being uncovered, and a new future is being envisioned. Something else that happened is worth sharing, sparking some gossip, controversy, and interesting, spicy bits that made the wedding memorable.

I remember a wedding, the bride took a break after her vows so that she could go out for a smoke, as she was very addicted to smoking. At another wedding where the Groom’s family decided to make a special counter so all could get fresh and piping hot food made right in front of them. But the planning and execution were so terrible that most of the guests were standing with plates waiting in line for the food. At another wedding where the Groom’s friends decided to open a bottle of champagne when he was on stage to cut the cake, but accidentally, the cock flew and hit the bride’s head, making her fall on the cake and ending up in the hospital. So weddings are interesting and fun events, but while reading the Bible, I particularly love the wedding of Cana. Note:- I will be using my suggestions, my understanding and my findings. I’m just sharing some information that I found absorbing my thoughts, so I’m just sharing it with you for reading purposes, not actual study material.

The ‘Wedding at Cana’ is a description of the miracle or, as St John calls it, ‘a sign’ and is one of my favourite passages from the Bible. The gospel of John is the gospel that is very different from the other 3 gospels. He begins his gospel with the words ‭In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. 

It feels like John’s words refer to the Book of Genesis.

We read from Jn 2:1-11 On the third day there was a marriage at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there; Jesus also was invited to the marriage, with his disciples. When the wine failed, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “O woman, what have you to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Now six stone jars were standing there, for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the steward of the feast.” So they took it. 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 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.” This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory; and his disciples believed in him. 

On the 3rd day, the first words of the passage St. Bede, an early Christian scholar, says that John emphasises that day to tell a deeper meaning about it. The 3 days are divided into 3 ages. 1st age is the period of the Patriarchs who walked the law and were enlightened by the examples of life; 2nd age is under the law and writings of the prophets, and 3rd is the age of grace, by the preaching of the evangelists, as by the light of the 3rd day.

The place where the event was held was called ‘Cana of Galilee’ which means desire of migrating. This has a peculiar significance as the church has known this passage as a migration from vice to virtue, from earthly to eternal. The passage never says that the wine was finished, but rather, the wine failed. The wine was meant to fail so that the glory of God in a man might be brought out of hiding.

St. John Chrysostom, an early church scholar, explains how Mary, the mother, knows about the capability of her son as he has never done any miracles yet. He says that till now, Jesus lived an ordinary life, so she never had the confidence to ask him, but now she must have known about the proclamation of John in John 1:32-34 and also saw Jesus now having disciples, which gave her the confidence to ask him for a miracle.

The above are the articles I read from various texts etc, but the following are my thoughts and understandings.  

I would like to take a few steps back to chapter 1. There, it is shown as John the Baptist baptising near Jordan, which is verse 26. Verse 27 begins with The next day John saw Jesus coming. Verse 35 starts Again the next day and verse 43 states The following day. Here, we conclude the first chapter after 4 days, and the second chapter Jesus saw his mother and the disciple he loved standing near her. He said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” Then to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that moment the disciple accepted her as his own mother. On the third day. The point John mentions is the past 4 days and the current 3rd day. John emphasises here that it’s the 3rd day and it’s the 7th day. The 3rd day is the day when Christ defeated death and rose from the dead after his passion on the cross, and the 7th day is the Sabbath. Some Jewish scholars believe that the Sabbath is a day of rest. But during the first Sabbath, the first wedding happened. The wedding of Adam and Eve. That was the day when the “Flesh of my flesh and bone of my bone” dialogues were delivered by Adam. On that day God blessed them to multiply. God blessed the first family. Here, St John tries to portray the importance of the day when Jesus began his ministry. This information is just for casual purposes and not to suggest something important. John never emphasised unwanted information as he was more focused on the events that followed during that day. After reading I found this information to be shared just as information.

During the wedding celebrations, the wine that was brought was over. The feast would begin in the morning and the wine and refreshments would keep coming all day long. So the wine being finished is a very embarrassing situation for the family. Jesus steps and tells them to fill the jars with water. I always thought Why those jars? There were the jars that had wine he could have used them. Why those stone jars? Not just any stone jars. Stone vessels were common in Judea for ritual purposes since, according to the Law of Moses, stone would not become impure, unlike the often-used pottery of ancient times. Additionally, running water or living water was considered pure, and the collection of water in a stone cistern could be used for purification purposes. This “living water” could be stored in a large stone water jar, which would function like a cistern holding ritually clean water, and then later it could be used for purification. Purification rituals and stone vessels associated with this practice were extremely common in Judea and Galilee since purification washing was a religious custom carried out frequently 

Some say that Jesus did not consider Mary as his mother, but to prove them wrong, John addresses Mary as the mother of Jesus. Some Bible scholars say that here in John 2:4 And Jesus said to her, “O woman, what have you to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” the beginning of the conversation What have you to do with me indicates the event that occurred in ‭Genesis 3:13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” So Eve declared to God about not listening to God’s instructions but rather following her desires, which led to her children following in her footsteps. 

Then Eve was a symbol of all humanity when she declared for all humanity that they reject God. When Jesus asks the question, ‘Woman, what have you to do with me?’ He is asking the new Eve, calling her by the same title, about where their relationship stands. The first woman had been rejected, but now God in human form wants to know the answer from the new Eve. 

She responds by telling the servants to do as he says. Here is why the scholars refer to Mary as the new Eve. The new Eve declares that they will obey God. 

While some do not share the need to have Mary as our mother or value her importance, it was her yes that brought forth our redemption and her response that marked the beginning of the ministry of Jesus.

John 19:26-27 Jesus saw his mother and the disciple he loved standing near her. He said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” Then to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that moment the disciple accepted her as his own mother. 

I would love to have my spiritual mother, who was the birth mother of JESUS CHRIST, the son of God,  the Word, made flesh. She who walked with Jesus during his journey to Calvary would also be with me during my journey. She is not there to clear the suffering of the journey but she's a support that would help me if I want to give up. She's our mother who would be there for us.

Let us put our faith in her as we journey together towards our heavenly destination.

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