January 15, 2010
Sunday Scripture
Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
BY FATHER DONALD DILGER
Chapter one of John’s gospel introduced us to Jesus under a series of titles: the Word of God, the fte, Light, God’s Word Incarnate, Lamb of God, Son of God, only Son from the Father, Messiah/Christ, son of Joseph, citizen of Nazareth, Teacher, King of Israel. Following these majestic titles, John suddenly brings his readers and his catechetical instruction back to earth with a story about Jesus, his disciples, and his mother as wedding guests at Cana in Galilee.
Jesus’ mother is the first actor on this stage, when she says to him, “They have no wine.” Commentators who are of the opinion that the wine supply was exhausted because Jesus and his disciples drank somewhat freely have to depend on Jesus’ words in Luke 7:33-34 and Matthew 11:18-19. Jesus quotes his critics of accusing him of eating too much and drinking too much, or as the gospels say it, “a glutton and a drunk.” That’s not a pretty picture, nor does it describe the “real” Jesus, but only what his critics said. Anyway, such an understanding of the shortage of wine at the wedding in Cana misses the point. John is not writing a biography of Jesus. He is writing theology, a catechism, an instruction book.
We can only take a few points of the content of John’s instruction in this story. First, the role of Jesus’ mother. Her name is never mentioned in this gospel. She is always called “the mother of Jesus.” Mary initiates Jesus’ public ministry with an implicit request to come to the help of an embarrassed young couple. He works his first miracle through her intercession. This is the only occasion for Mary to speak in the Gospel of John. Mary is present not only at the beginning of Jesus’ public life, but also at the end, at the foot of the cross, and only in the Gospel of John.
Jesus’ answer to his mother seems, as the Brits would say, a bit cheeky, “Woman, what have you to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” First, the title “Woman.” Jesus will address his mother once more by this title, in his last will and testament on the Cross, “Woman, behold your son!” Why this strange address to his mother? One meaning is the theme of Jesus distancing himself from his biological family in favor of his spiritual family — a theme found in all four gospels. This interpretation would agree with the second time Jesus addresses his mother as “Woman,” that is, on the cross. On that occasion Jesus proclaims her the mother of the “Beloved Disciple,” who symbolizes every Christian. The mother of Jesus thus becomes the mother of all Christians. Her parental authority as biological mother of Jesus is turned aside at the wedding of Cana, but her motherhood of Jesus is given its ultimate meaning when he proclaims her mother of his spiritual family.
A second point of instruction (and there are many more in this story) is the role of the six jars of water used for the symbolic “Jewish rites of purification” required of those entering the home for the wedding festival. A major theme of John’s gospel is that Jesus perfects, or gives ultimate meaning to the various rites of the Old Testament religious observances. The jars were not full, thus Jesus orders them to be filled “to the brim.” This action of Jesus is an illustration of what John wrote in 1:17, “The Torah was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” Therefore the poor bridegroom is scolded by the manager of the celebration, “Every man serves the good wine first, and when they have drunk freely, then the poor wine, but you have kept the good wine until now.” In John’s theology, only Jesus can give the fullness for which the Torah prepared humanity. The good wine has come. The jars are now full. Jesus’ hour has begun. The reaction of the disciples is our reaction, “And his disciples believed in him.”
The prophet speaks to the depressed people of Jerusalem about 530 B.C. They are caught in the grip of economic and spiritual crises. God is envisioned as the bridegroom, who “makes your land his spouse.” God Is called “your Builder, who will marry you,” and “as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride, so shall your God rejoice in you.” In John’s theology Jesus himself is envisioned as the bridegroom of the People of God, the Church, just as God in the Old Testament is called bridegroom of Israel as a people. With this reading the liturgy puts a specific “spin” on the story of the wedding at Cana. Jesus’ presence at the wedding, and especially his encounter with water and wine, teaches through the medium of this reading how the Bridegroom dispenses his gifts through his Bride, the Church. The water is baptism; the wine is the Eucharist. Through baptism we gain access to the Eucharist.
Paul’s Christian community at Corinth had a problem often seen in parishes — a lack of unity, jealousy, manipulation for power. Paul calls for unity, reminding his people that each one serves the same Lord in the same Spirit with different gifts, but all must be done with a love that respects the gifts of each individual.