John 2:1-11
1. Three days after, there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and
the mother of Jesus was there. 2. And Jesus also was invited, and his disciples,
to the marriage 3. And when the wine fell short, the mother of Jesus saith
to him, They have no wine. 4. Jesus saith to her, What have I to do with
thee? my hour is not yet come. 5. His mother saith to the servants, Do
whatever he shall bid you. 6. And there were there six water-pots of stone,
placed according to the Jewish custom of cleansing, containing each of
them about two or three baths. 7. Jesus saith to them, Fill the water-pots
with water. And they filled them to the brim. 8. And he saith to them,
Draw out now, and carry to the master of the feast; and they carried. 9.
And when the master of the feast had tasted the water which was made wine,
(and knew not whence it was, but the servants who drew the water knew,)
the master of the feast calleth the bridegroom, 10. And saith to him, Every
man at first sets down good wine; and when men have drunk freely, then
that which is worse; but thou hast kept the good wine till now. 11. This
beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and displayed his glory,
and his disciples believed on him.
1. There was a marriage in Cana of Galilee. As this narrative contains
the first miracle which Christ performed, it would be proper for us, were
it on this ground alone, to consider the narrative attentively; though
— as we shall afterwards see — there are other reasons which recommend
it to our notice. But while we proceed, the various advantages arising
from it will be more clearly seen. The Evangelist first mentions Cana of
Galilee, not that which was situated towards Zare-phath (1 Kings 17:9;
Obadiah 20; Luke 4:26) or Sarepta, between Tyre and Sidon, and was called
the greater in comparison of this latter Cana, which is placed by some
in the tribe of Zebulun, and by others in the tribe of Asher. For Jerome
too assures us that, even in his time, there existed a small town which
bore that name. There is reason to believe that it was near the city of
Nazareth, since the mother of Christ came there to attend the marriage.
From the fourth chapter of this book it will be seen that it was not more
than one day’s journey distant from Capernaum. That it lay not far from
the city of Bethsaida may also be inferred from the circumstance, that
three days after Christ had been in those territories, the marriage was
celebrated — the Evangelist tells us — in Cana of Galilee. There may have
been also a third Cana, not far from Jerusalem, and yet out of Galilee;
but I leave this undetermined, because I am unacquainted with it.
And the mother of Jesus was there. It was probably one of Christ’s near
relations who married a wife; for Jesus is mentioned as having accompanied
his mother. From the fact that the disciples also are invited, we may infer
how plain and frugal was his way of living; for he lived in common with
them. It may be thought strange, however, that a man who has no great wealth
or abundance (as will be made evident from the scarcity of the wine) invites
four or five other persons, on Christ’s account. But the poor are readier
and more frank in their invitations; because they are not, like the rich,
afraid of being disgraced, if they do not treat their guests with great
costliness and splendor; for the poor adhere more zealously to the ancient
custom of having an extended acquaintance.
Again, it may be supposed to show a want of courtesy, that the bridegroom
allows his guests, in the middle of the entertainment, to be in want of
wine; for it looks like a man of little thoughtfulness not to have a sufficiency
of wine for his guests. I reply, nothing is here related which does not
frequently happen, especially when people are not accustomed to the daily
use of wine. Besides, the context shows, that it was towards the conclusion
of the banquet that the wine fell short, when, according to custom, it
might be supposed that they had already drunk enough; for the master of
the feast thus speaks, Other men place worse wine before those who have
drunk enough, but thou hast kept the best till now. Besides, I have no
doubt that all this was regulated by the Providence of God, that there
might be room for the miracle.
3. The mother of Jesus saith to him. It may be doubted if she expected
or asked any thing from her Son, since he had not yet performed any miracle;
and it is possible that, without expecting any remedy of this sort, she
advised him to give some pious exhortations which would have the effect
of preventing the guests from feeling uneasiness, and at the same time
of relieving the shame of the bridegroom. I consider her words to be expressive
of (sumpaqei>a) earnest compassion; for the holy woman, perceiving that
those who had been invited were likely to consider themselves as having
been treated with disrespect, and to murmur against the bridegroom, and
that the entertainment might in that way be disturbed, wished that some
means of soothing them could be adopted. Chrysostom throws out a suspicion
that she was moved by the feelings of a woman to seek I know not what favor
for herself and her Son; but this conjecture is not supported by any argument.
4. Woman, what have I to do with thee? Why does Christ repel her so
rashly? I reply, though she was not moved by ambition, nor by any carnal
affection, still she did wrong in going beyond her proper bounds. Her anxiety
about the inconvenience endured by others, and her desire to have it in
some way mitigated, proceeded from humanity, and ought to be regarded as
a virtue; but still, by putting herself forward, she might obscure the
glory of Christ. Though it ought also to be observed, that what Christ
spoke was not so much for her sake as for the sake of others. Her modesty
and piety were too great, to need so severe a chastisement. Besides, she
did not knowingly and willingly offend; but Christ only meets the danger,
that no improper use may be made of what his mother had said, as if it
were in obedience to her command that he afterwards performed the miracle.
The Greek words (Ti> ejmoi< kai< soi<) literally mean, What
to me and to thee? But the Greek phraseology is of the same import with
the Latin — Quid tibi mecum? (what hast thou to do with me?) The old translator
led many people into a mistake, by supposing Christ to have asserted, that
it was no concern of his, or of his mother’s, if the wine fell short. But
from the second clause we may easily conclude how far removed this is from
Christ’s meaning; for he takes upon himself this concern, and declares
that it belongs to him to do so, when he adds, my hour is not yet come.
Both ought to be joined together — that Christ understands what it is necessary
for him to do, and yet that he will not act in this matter at his mother’s
suggestion.
It is a remarkable passage certainly; for why does he absolutely refuse
to his mother what he freely granted afterwards, on so many occasions,
to all sorts of persons? Again, why is he not satisfied with a bare refusal?
and why does he reduce her to the ordinary rank of women, and not even
deign to call her mother? This saying of Christ openly and manifestly warns
men to beware lest, by too superstitiously elevating the honor of the name
of mother in the Virgin Mary, they transfer to her what belongs exclusively
to God. Christ, therefore, addresses his mother in this manner, in order
to lay down a perpetual and general instruction to all ages, that his divine
glory must not be obscured by excessive honor paid to his mother.
How necessary this warning became, in consequence of the gross and disgraceful
superstitions which followed afterwards, is too well known. For Mary has
been constituted the Queen of Heaven, the Hope, the Life, and the Salvation
of the world; and, in short, their fury and madness proceeded so far that
they stripped Christ of his spoils, and left him almost naked. And when
we condemn those horrid blasphemies against the Son of God, the Papists
call us malignant and envious; and — what is worse — they maliciously slander
us as deadly foes to the honor of the holy Virgin. As if she had not all
the honor that is due to her, unless she were made a Goddess; or as if
it were treating her with respect, to adorn her with blasphemous titles,
and to substitute her in the room of Christ. The Papists, therefore, offer
a grievous insult to Mary when, in order to disfigure her by false praises,
they take from God what belongs to Him.
My hour is not yet come. He means that he has not hitherto delayed through
carelessness or indolence, but at the same time he states indirectly that
he will attend to the matter, when the proper time for it shall arrive.
As he reproves his mother for unseasonable haste, so, on the other hand,
he gives reason to expect a miracle. The holy Virgin acknowledges both,
for she abstains from addressing him any farther; and when she advises
the servants to do whatever he commands, she shows that she expects something
now. But the instruction conveyed here is still more extensive that whenever
the Lord holds us in suspense, and delays his aid, he is not therefore
asleep, but, on the contrary, regulates all His works in such a manner
that he does nothing but at the proper time. Those who have applied this
passage to prove that the time of events is appointed by Fate, are too
ridiculous to require a single word to be said for refuting them. The hour
of Christ sometimes denotes the hour which had been appointed to him by
the Father; and by his time he will afterwards designate what he found
to be convenient and suitable for executing the commands of his Father;
but in this place he claims the right to take and choose the time for working
and for displaying his Divine power.
5. His mother saith to the servants. Here the holy Virgin gives an instance
of true obedience which she owed to her Son, when the question related,
not to the relative duties of mankind, but to his divine power. She modestly
acquiesces, therefore, in Christ’s reply; and in like manner exhorts others
to comply with his injunctions. I acknowledge, indeed, that what the Virgin
now said related to the present occurrence, and amounted to a declaration
that, in this instance, she had no authority, and that Christ would do,
according to his own pleasure, whatever he thought right. But if you attend
closely to her design, the statement which she made is still more extensive;
for she first disclaims and lays aside the power which she might seem to
have improperly usurped; and next, she ascribes the whole authority to
Christ, when she bids them do whatever he shall command. We are taught
generally by these words, that if we desire any thing from Christ, we will
not obtain our wishes, unless we depend on him alone, look to him, and,
in short, do whatever he commands. On the other hand, he does not send
us to his mother, but rather invites us to himself.
6. And there were there six water-pots of stone. According to the computation
of Budaeus, we infer that these water-pots were very large; for as the
metreta (metrhth<v) contains twenty congii, each contained, at least,
a Sextier of this country. Christ supplied them, therefore, with a great
abundance of wine, as much as would be sufficient for a banquet to a hundred
and fifty men. Besides, both the number and the size of the water-pots
serve to prove the truth of the miracle. If there had been only two or
three jars, many might have suspected that they had been brought from some
other place. If in one vessel only the water had been changed into wine,
the certainty of the miracle would not have been so obvious, or so well
ascertained. It is not, therefore, without a good reason that the Evangelist
mentions the number of the water-pots, and states how much they contained.
It arose from superstition that vessels so numerous and so large were
placed there. They had the ceremony of washing, indeed, prescribed to them
by the Law of God; but as the world is prone to excess in outward matters,
the Jews, not satisfied with the simplicity which God had enjoined, amused
themselves with continual washings; and as superstition is ambitious, they
undoubtedly served the purpose of display, as we see at the present day
in Popery, that every thing which is said to belong to the worship of God
is arranged for pure display. There was, then, a twofold error: that without
the command of God, they engaged in a superfluous ceremony of their own
invention; and next, that, under the pretense of religion, ambition reigned
amidst that display. Some Popish scoundrels have manifested an amazing
degree of wickedness, when they had the effrontery to say that they had
among their relics those water-pots with which Christ performed this miracle
in Cana, and exhibited some of them, which, first, are of small size, and,
next, are unequal in size. And in the present day, when the light of the
Gospel shines so clearly around us, they are not ashamed to practice those
tricks, which certainly is not to deceive by enchantments, but daringly
to mock men as if they were blind; and the world, which does not perceive
such gross mockery, is evidently bewitched by Satan.
7. Fill the water-pots with water. The servants might be apt to look
upon this injunction as absurd; for they had already more than enough of
water. But in this way the Lord often acts towards us, that his power may
be more illustriously displayed by an unexpected result; though this circumstance
is added to magnify the miracle; for when the servants drew wine out of
vessels which had been filled with water, no suspicion can remain.
8. And carry to the master of the feast. For the same reason as before,
Christ wished that the flavor of the wine should be tried by the master
of the feast, before it had been tasted by himself, or by any other of
the guests; and the readiness with which the servants obey him in all things
shows us the great reverence and respect in which he was held by them.
The Evangelist gives the name of the master of the feast to him who had
the charge of preparing the banquet and arranging the tables; not that
the banquet was costly and magnificent, but because the honorable appellations
borrowed from the luxury and splendor of the rich are applied even to the
marriages of the poor. But it is wonderful that a large quantity of wine,
and of the very best wine, is supplied by Christ, who is a teacher of sobriety.
I reply, when God daily gives us a large supply of wine, it is our own
fault if his kindness is an excitement to luxury; but, on the other hand,
it is an undoubted trial of our sobriety, if we are sparing and moderate
in the midst of abundance; as Paul boasts that he had learned to know both
how to be full and to be hungry, (Philippians 4:12.)
11. This beginning of miracles. The meaning is, that this was the first
of Christ’s miracles; for when the angels announced to the shepherds that
he was born in Bethlehem, (Luke 2:8,) when the star appeared to the Magi,
(Matthew 2:2,) when the Holy Spirit descended on him in the shape of a
dove, (Matthew 3:16; Mark 1:10; John 1:32,) though these were miracles,
yet, strictly speaking, they were not performed by him; but the Evangelist
now speaks of the miracles of which he was himself the Author. For it is
a frivolous and absurd interpretation which some give, that this is reckoned
the first among; the miracles which Christ performed in Cana of Galilee;
as if a place, in which we do not read that he ever was more than twice,
had been selected by him for a display of his power. It was rather the
design of the Evangelist to mark the order of time which Christ followed
in the exercise of his power. For until he was thirty years of age, he
kept himself concealed at home, like one who held no public office. Having
been consecrated, at his baptism, to the discharge of his office, he then
began to appear in public, and to show by clear proofs for what purpose
he was sent by the Father. We need not wonder, therefore, if he delayed
till this time the first proof of his Divinity. It is a high honor given
to marriage, that Christ not only deigned to be present at a nuptial banquet,
but honored it with his first miracle. There are some ancient Canons which
forbid the clergy to attend a marriage. The reason of the prohibition was,
that by being the spectators of the wickedness which was usually practiced
on such occasions, they might in some measure be regarded as approving
of it. But it would have been far better to carry to such places so much
gravity as to restrain the licentiousness in which unprincipled and abandoned
men indulge, when they are withdrawn from the eyes of others. Let us, on
the contrary, take Christ’s example for our rule; and let us not suppose
that any thing else than what we read that he did can be profitable to
us.
And manifested his glory; that is, because he then gave a striking and
illustrious proof, by which it was ascertained that he was the Son of God;
for all the miracles which he exhibited to the world were so many demonstrations
of his divine power. The proper time for displaying his glory was now come,
when he wished to make himself known agreeably to the command of his Father.
Hence, also, we learn the end of miracles; for this expression amounts
to a declaration that Christ, in order to manifest his glory, performed
this miracle. What, then, ought we to think of those miracles which obscure
the glory of Christ?
And his disciples believed on him. If they were disciples, they must
already have possessed some faith; but as they had hitherto followed him
with a faith which was not distinct and firm, they began at that time to
devote themselves to him, so as to acknowledge him to be the Messiah, such
as he had already been announced to them. The forbearance of Christ is
great in reckoning as disciples those whose faith is so small. And indeed
this doctrine extends generally to us all; for the faith which is now full
grown had at first its infancy, nor is it so perfect in any as not to make
it necessary that all to a man should make progress in believing. Thus,
they who now believed may be said to begin to believe, so far as they daily
make progress towards the end of their faith. Let those who have obtained
the first-fruits of faith labor always to make progress. These words point
out likewise the advantage of miracles; namely, that they ought to be viewed
as intended for the confirmation and progress of faith. Whoever twists
them to any other purpose corrupts and debases the whole use of them; as
we see that Papists boast of their pretended miracles for no other purpose
than to bury faith, and to turn away the minds of men from Christ to the
creatures.
