The First Reading (Isaiah 62:1-5) signals a game change to the Babylonian oppressive dominance, which resulted in the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of the surviving Israelites in Babylon. Thus God announces His intention for action to vindicate His beloved Jerusalem, namely, to bring the remnant Jerusalem habitants back to Jerusalem from their Babylonian captivity. God’s action for Jerusalem’s vindication shall draw attention from all nations, as it renew her by His love, which shall treat her as a royal dignity. Furthermore, God’s renewal of the post-exilic Jerusalem is, in essence, intimate love, comparable to matrimony.
For Christians, this is more than God’s post-exilic vindication (justification) of His beloved Jerusalem but it is, indeed, God’s proclamation to take His action to save us from the captivity of sins. We, as God’s beloved children (Romans 8:13; 1 John 3:2), are collectively “post-exilic Jerusalem” to be justified. For this, God the Father sent His only begotten Son so that we may be saved to enjoy eternal life (John 3:16; 1 John 4:9-10) by incarnating him, Theos-Logos, to let him dwell among us (John 1:1, 14), by the power of the Holy Spirit in Mary’s womb (Luke 1:30-33, 35). And Mary gave birth to the incarnated Christ the Son of God in Bethlehem (Luke 2:1-7; cf. John 7:42; cf. Micah 5:1), where David was born (1 Samuel 16:1-13), so that God’s covenant with David for the Christ to be the eternal Davidic King (2 Samuel 7: 11-16 ) is fulfilled. For the first 30 years of his life, the Christ the Son of God was not recognized publically – until he came to John the Baptist to be baptized (Luke 3:21-23), though the Magi, who were Gentiles, paid homage to him when he was still a newborn baby, recognizing him as the Messianic King to be sacrificed by the Magi during his infancy (Matthew 2:1-11).
Upon hid baptism, the incarnated Christ, Jesus, began his ministry (Luke 3:21-23) for our vindication so that we may be worthy to be his bride (Revelation 19:6-9; 21:2; cf. Ephesians 5:21-33). The ultimate purpose of God’s action to vindicate us is not only to free us from the grip of sins but to turn us, as the Church, as the new post-exilic Jerusalem, into the bride of Christ (Revelation 19:6-9; 21:1; cf. Isaiah 62:5).
According to John, Jesus performed seven signs of his divine supernatural power to show that he came to save and justify us. These signs are: Turning water into wine during wedding banquet in Cana (John 2:1-12); Saving royal official’s son from near-death condition in Cana (John 4:46-54); Healing a man with long-term illness at the Bethesda pool (John 5:1-11); Feeding of at least the 5,000 out of five loaves and two fish (John 6:1-15); Walking on water in the sea of Galilee (John 6:16-21); Healing a man born blind (John 9:1-12); Resurrecting Lazarus from the dead (John 11:38-44). In the Gospel Reading (John 2:1-11), we see how Jesus performed his first sign during the wedding banquet in Cana.
It took place on the third day (John 2:1) upon recruiting Philip and Nathaniel (John 1:43-51). Jesus, his mother, Mary, and his disciples were invited to a wedding (John 2:1-2). During the banquet, Mary noticed that wine was getting short and notified Jesus (John 2:3). To this Jesus responded:
Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come (John 2:4).
At first, this may give us an impression as if Jesus were indifferent to his mother’s concern about the wine running out. However, if he were truly unconcerned about her what Mary cared about, then Mary would not say to the servers:
Do whatever he tells you (John 2:5).
And he would not do anything,
In fact, the expression, “Τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοί, γύναι; οὔπω ἥκει ἡ ὥρα μου”, translated as, “How does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come”, is not meant to be taken literally, for it is rather a word play in the Greco-Roman culture of that time. Therefore, it is not that Jesus was being disrespectful to his mother or belittling her concern. The true rhetoric of this phrase of Jesus is more like this: How does your concern affect me? Yes, it is also my concern, because you are my mother, though it is not time yet to reveal my divine supernatural power.
Some may wonder why Jesus called Mary “woman”, because it sounds somewhat less intimate. They may think that Jesus was not emotionally so close to his mother. However, it is not the case. The Greek word used for “woman”(John 2:4) is γύναι (gynai). It’s corresponding Hebrew word is אִשָּׁה (ishah). In Jesus’ time, these words were used to call any woman with respect and affection. By calling his mother, “woman”, Jesus was calling Mary, “my dear lady”. It sounds formal and classy in expressing affectionate respect to his mother.
Another aspect of Jesus calling his mother, Mary, “woman”, suggests that Mary is the New Eve, as Adam called his wife, Eve, “woman”(Genesis 2:23). Then, upon Eve’s fall, God called the New Eve, “woman”(Genesis 3:15), pointing to the enmity between Satan and Mary (Revelation 12:1-17).
Mary certainly appreciated Jesus’ respect and concern. That is why she directed the servants to what he tells.
Then, Jesus instructed to fill six large stone water jars to their brims and draw some and bring it to the headwaiter (John 2:6-8). Voila! The water turned into the choice wine when the headwaiter tasted, though the servant who drew from one of the water jars and brought it to the headwaiter, thought it was water (John 2:9).
Both the form and the substance of water changed when the headwaiter tasted what was thought to be water drawn from a brimful stone water jar. In a way, this is like transubstantiation of bread into the living flesh of Christ and wine into the blood of Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit through Epiklesis during the consecration at Mass. However, in the case of transubstantiation, the form per se does not change.
Another interesting aspect of this is that the water came from water jars for ceremonial cleansing.
The water drawn from ceremonial cleansing water jars turned into wine. And wine is transubstantiated into the blood of Christ, not only to give us eternal life and to remain in him, as he in us (John 6:53-56) but also to cleanse us (Hebrews 7:14; 9:14;1 John 1:7; Revelation 5:9; 12:11). Therefore, it was not just wine, though those who were at the wedding banquet only tasted it as wine to keep their joy seamless.
The first sign performed by Jesus somewhat earlier than God’s original plan, on which Jesus would reveal his divine power through signs, as it was prompted by Mary. This indicates the fact that the mother of Christ has significant influence on him. This points to the fact that she is גְּבִירָה (gebirah), the mother of a king serving as his queen in the Davidic royal family (i.e. 1 Kings 2:20). Knowing this, Jesus called her with respect and affection by using the word “ γύναι (gynai)/ אִשָּׁה (ishah) “(John 2:4).
Because it was ahead of God’s schedule, this sign was not noticed by anyone in the scene – except Mary. Nevertheless, this sign saved the wedding from turning into a fiasco as wine never ran out, thanks to the team work of Mary, Jesus, and the servers. Saving a wedding, as represented by Jesus’ first sign of turning water into wine, signifies that God’s will to vindicate us to become the bride of His Son, the Christ, cannot be compromised. And it is not just God working alone but we are also called to work in God’s team. For this reason, as reflected in the Second Reading (1 Corinthians 12:4-11), through the Holy Spirit, God has endowed us with many various gifts, so that we can cooperate God’s will to make our wedding with Christ through many different works according to gifts given to us.
No comments:
Post a Comment