Commentary by John Calvin
1. Three days after, [44] 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 (sumpatheia) 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 emoi 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, [45] 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. [46]
5. His mother saith to the servants. Here the holy Virgin gives an
instance of true obedience which she owed to her Son, [47] 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 [48] (metretes) contains twenty congii, each
contained, at least, a Sextier of this country. [49] 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, [50] 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.
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Footnotes
[44] "Tertio die;" -- "trois jours apres."
[45] "En la vierge Marie."
[46] "De bosongner et desployer sa virtue Divine."
[47] "a son Fils."
[48] The exact size of the firkin cannot be easily ascertained. If
metretes be here used by the Evangelist as a purely Greek word, we must
conclude it to be an Attic measure, which was nearly equal to nine
English gallons. If, again, it be placed here as a substitute for the
Hebrew word vt, (Bath,) as the Septuagint has done in 2 Chronicles 4:5,
it will probably be rated at seven gallons and a half. -- Ed
[49] "De ce pays de Savoye;" -- "of this country, Savoy."
[50] "Qu'ils avoyent entre leurs reliques de ces cruches, esquelles
Christ avoit fait ce miracle en Cana, et en monstroyent."
(Bible commentary by John Calvin on John's Gospel, Chapter 2, verses 1 to 11)
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