It is embarrassing for a host to run out of food or drink in the middle of a banquet. Evangelist John uses that common principle to bring about a scene of the Epiphany of God – through the sign of Jesus changing water and into wine during the wedding at Cana. There is no wine in the house, and besides, there is not even water there! Only after Jesus ordered it, the servants fill the jars with water! But, unless we read this Gospel in prayer and meditate on it, we run the risk of misunderstanding its meaning.
John presents in his Gospel only seven signs as performed by Jesus. The sign of changing water into wine is the first of the seven. Although serving wine symbolizes happiness and love (Ecclesiastes 10:19; Ct 4:10), excessive drinking was regarded as evil and drunkenness was condemned (Proverbs 23:30) in the Jewish culture. If so, why does the Evangelist say that Jesus gave them wine in abundance? He uses an expression that does not occur anywhere else in the New Testament: “Jesus revealed his glory.” – This is the manifestation of the Glory of God: the Epiphany of the Lord! The disciples believed after seeing this sign.
Nothing is said of the central figures of the feast in John’s narrative. There is no mention of the bride; the groom has an insignificant role; he does not say anything. The most important of them is the toastmaster! One also wonders why there were so many stone jars in a private home. Were they just for purifications? Why does he not name the Mother of Jesus — Mary. He just says, “the Mother of Jesus.” There will be few more occasions when John would call her as the “Mother of Jesus” as it happened at the foot of the cross (John 19:25-27).
At the time of Jesus, Israel expected the Messiah, who would provide them with banquet laden with “rich food, and choice wines, meat full of marrow, fine wine strained” (Isaiah 25:6). This Messiah still seems to be far away. The people are sad, like those who celebrate a wedding feast without wine. The wedding at Cana without wine represents the tragic condition of the people of Israel, disappointed and dissatisfied. In other words, the momentum of love for the Lord was replaced with the fulfilment of legal provisions.
The six empty stone jars represent the religion of purification, that set of practices and rituals that cannot purify the people. Not from this water, but from what Jesus orders to draw — his water — results in the best wine.
Jesus’ mother can be Mary, yes, but she can also indicate the spiritual community in which Jesus was born and from which he was educated. In today’s passage, she represents the pious people of Israel. They understand that the living water comes only from Jesus and not from their religious practices and norms. Whoever drinks it is transformed into wine; that is, enjoy happiness.
John places this “sign” at the beginning of his Gospel because it is a synthesis of all that Jesus will do later. He is the one who will celebrate the wedding feast with the community.
Father Josekutty Mathew CMF
