Today’s reading is John 2: 1-11, the Wedding at Cana, called out as Jesus’ first public miracle. As I am a writer I like to analyze these texts by asking the question why was this story told in this way? As a philosopher I am looking for the philosophy, the way of life, of Christianity.
The story from the reading: Jesus and his mother and his disciples are at a wedding where the wine has run out. His mother mentions this and Jesus dismisses her, then she tells the servants to do whatever Jesus tells them to do. He give them instructions to fill up some pots of water and then draw some and take it to the steward, who is shocked that the good wine was saved for so late in the party. This was his first public miracle and his disciples believed in him.
So, I have questions:
1. Why is Mary the mother of Jesus not named?
2. How did Mary know that Jesus could do something about it?
3. Why was Jesus reluctant to do anything about it?
First, Mary is not named in the Gospel of John at all. Why is this? Mary shows up in the crucifixion as well and is only “His mother” where there are two other Mary’s on the scene, so it’s not like the gospeler was worried the audience would get confused by the plethora of Mary’s. His father is named when the disciples rope in Nathanael (John 1:45).
Second, this is in the story as Jesus’ first miracle, not his first public miracle, so my writer’s brain telling me that Jesus practiced at home and only his family knew about this isn’t really an option. It is possible that His family had always noticed miraculous things happening around him, even when, like in this story, he doesn’t do anything. He doesn’t say a word, wave a hand, or wiggle his nose. He gives instructions and things change. In other gospels we can point to the birth narrative where Mary has always known who Jesus was, but John’s gospel doesn’t include the birth mythology. It goes deeper than that.
Third, why was Jesus reluctant? He has disciples around him and that was a bit of a curiosity. Earlier in the Gospel John outs him as the Lamb of God (John 1:29-34) and some of John’s disciples left him to follow Jesus. Jesus later calls a couple more, just before the wedding at Cana. So he’s got a group of people following him, but His hand seems to be forced. He was just walking by (in Bethany, far to the south of Nazareth and Cana) when John said “there’s the dude I’ve been telling you about”[1]from The Bible for the Laid Backand there’s no sign that Jesus wanted the attention. But He went along, I guess.
As a writer, I try to get into the heads of the characters. The prologue states that Jesus is the Christ and always has been the Christ, the model of humanity through which all things were made. So the audience knows who the hero of the story is, but Jesus doesn’t appear to be aware of it yet. And if he was about 30 years old when this story starts, he’s already a fully grown adult. What has he been doing all this time? Has He been thinking and praying about how to save the world? Has He been planning, or is he sitting on his heels waiting for the right time?
I kind of like this question. It is possible that a younger man would not have been believed because of cultural ageism. The youth have no wisdom, we tend to say, but it in our youths (15-25) that we really make breakthroughs and move the world forward[2]See the Beatles, Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein. Rick Beato has a video outlining this idea that humans are at their peak creativity in their 20’s.. I’m not saying it’s impossible (because I still hope to do it myself) but most big pivotal moments seem to come from people in their 20’s. In that metric, it is too late for Jesus, but it could also have been the culture He was in. Even if Jesus had wanted to start his ministry the world would call him a nice young man and dismiss him. He needed some age to build have clout.
Another option to Jesus’ reluctance is that He, as a guest at a party, doesn’t want to do anything to draw attention away from the wedding couple. It’s not his job to show up Betty and Ralph[3]If you know, you know but to celebrate them. I know nothing about wedding practices in ancient Judaism, but the party that is thrown in Fiddler on the Roof strikes me as part of a long tradition of really celebrating these events. We all like a good party, right?
And I can also imagine Jesus is just a teeny bit nervous, but this is harder to back up after reading the calling of Nathanael earlier in this gospel. Jesus has disciples and he hasn’t really taught them anything. They’re hanging around because John said “this is the dude”[4] The BLB again and Jesus has only given out a nickname and made promises about great things to come. But to witness a miracle is to see the world doesn’t always behave like we expect it to. To quote Douglas Adams, “it’s impossible, but it’s happening”. Is Jesus worried that if these new hangers-on see something unbelievable they’ll run away? He won’t be able to do what He is supposed to do because suddenly the rumor mills will start up and nobody will want anything to do with him? Sure, this Gospel tends to show Jesus as a guy in charge of Himself, but maybe that’s just how we want to read Him.
So, finally, the philosopher asks what’s the way of life lesson in this story?
One, always listen to you mother. Mary may also have been waiting for Jesus to do what she knew he should be doing. When I was a kid I loved to go roller skating (it was the 70’s, after all) but I was afraid to get off the wall and really skate. I spent my time pulling myself along the carpeted wall (again, the 70’s) until my Dad told me that the owner was going to kick out the whole family if I didn’t get off the wall and start skating. I’m sure this was a lie, but my father knew I have a certain amount of fear of authority and a great deal of honor so I was not going to get the family kicked out. I got off the wall and started skating. I managed a few jumps but never mastered skating backwards, but at least I was off the wall.
Did Mary do the same thing here? While the Gospel of John does not have a birth mythology, Mary still knows what gifts her son has. All mothers know. Did she watch her son spend too many years avoiding his true calling and finally decide to push him out of his shell for his (and our) own good? It fits the narrative where Jesus had to be called out by John the Baptist twice before people noticed.
Two, do the right thing right now. Jesus seems to be hemming and hawing. If you’re hemming and hawing over doing something in hopes that the right time will come or the need for the deed will go away on its own, maybe the real lesson here is to just get it done. Take the walk you need to take. Fold the laundry that’s been piling up in the floordrobe for a month. Do the dishes. Write the essay. Clean the garage. Stop waffling and take some action. If there’s a little risk, well, who promised you life was going to be easy and risk-free?
Three, know your place. Jesus is a guest of someone else here, and he’s not being invited to speak or do anything but be there and celebrate. So do the right thing, but don’t make a fuss over it. We have in other gospels Jesus healing people and telling them to keep quiet, which they don’t. We also have instructions in other gospels to pray privately in our rooms and not publicly for praise and reputation.