Thomas Aquinas Commentary John 2:1-11

"And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: and Jesus also was bidden, and his disciples, to the marriage. And when the wine failed, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. And Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. Now there were six waterpots of stone set there after the Jews` manner of purifying, containing two or three firkins apiece. Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the ruler of the feast. And they bare it. And when the ruler of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and knew not whence it was (but the servants that had drawn the water knew), the ruler of the feast calleth the bridegroom, and saith unto him, Every man setteth on first the good wine; and when [men] have drunk freely, [then] that which is worse: thou hast kept the good wine until now. This beginning of his signs did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested his glory; and his disciples believed on him." — John 2:1-11 (ASV)

Previously, the Evangelist showed the dignity of the incarnate Word and gave various proofs for it. Now he begins to recount the effects and actions by which the divinity of the incarnate Word was made known to the world.

He first describes the things Christ did while living in the world that reveal His divinity. Second, from chapter twelve onward, he describes how Christ showed His divinity while dying.

Regarding the first part, he does two things:

1. He shows the divinity of Christ in relation to the power He had over nature.
2. He shows it in relation to the effects of grace, starting in chapter three with and there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus (John 3:1).

Christ’s power over nature is shown to us by the fact that He changed a nature. This change was accomplished by Christ as a sign, first, for His disciples, to strengthen them; and second, for the people, to lead them to believe, which is discussed from after this he went down to Capernaum (John 2:12) onward.

This transformation of a nature, in order to strengthen the disciples, was accomplished at a wedding when He turned water into wine. The text says, there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee. The commentary on this event is structured as follows:

1. The marriage is described.
2. Those present are described, at and the mother of Jesus was there.
3. The miracle performed by Christ is described, at and when the wine ran out.

In describing the marriage, the time is mentioned first. Thus, he says, and on the third day, there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee, that is, after the calling of the disciples mentioned earlier. For after being made known by the testimony of John, Christ also wanted to make Himself known through His own actions.

Second, the place is mentioned; hence he says, in Cana of Galilee. Galilee is a province, and Cana is a small village located in that province.

Regarding the literal meaning, we should note that there are two opinions about the timeline of Christ’s preaching. Some say that two and a half years passed from Christ’s baptism until His death. According to them, the events at this wedding took place in the same year that Christ was baptized. However, both the teaching and practice of the Church are opposed to this view. On the feast of the Epiphany, three miracles are commemorated: the adoration of the Magi, which took place in the first year of the Lord’s birth; the baptism of Christ, which implies He was baptized on the same day thirty years later; and this wedding, which took place on the same day one year after that. It follows from this that at least one year elapsed between His baptism and this wedding.

In that year, the only things recorded to have been done by the Lord are found in the fourth chapter of Matthew: the fasting in the desert and the temptation by the devil, as well as what John tells us in this Gospel about the testimony of the Baptist and the conversion of the disciples. After this wedding, Christ began to preach publicly and perform miracles up to the time of His passion, so that He preached publicly for two and a half years.

In the mystical sense, marriage signifies the union of Christ with His Church, as the Apostle says: this is a great mystery: I am speaking of Christ and his Church (Ephesians 5:32). This marriage began in the womb of the Virgin, when God the Father united a human nature to His Son in a unity of person. The chamber for this union was the Virgin’s womb: he established a chamber for the sun (Psalms 19:5). Of this marriage it is said: the kingdom of heaven is like a king who married his son (Matthew 22:2), which is when God the Father joined a human nature to His Word in the womb of the Virgin. It was made public when the Church was joined to Him by faith: I will bind you to myself in faith (Hosea 2:20). We read of this marriage: blessed are they who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9). It will be consummated when the bride, the Church, is led into the resting place of the groom, which is the glory of heaven.

The fact that this marriage took place on the third day is not without mystical significance. The first day is the time of the law of nature; the second day is the time of the written law. But the third day is the time of grace, when the incarnate Lord celebrated the marriage: he will revive us after two days: on the third day he will raise us up (Hosea 6:2).

The place is also appropriate. For Cana means “zeal” and Galilee means “passage.” So this marriage was celebrated in the “zeal of a passage,” to suggest that those persons are most worthy of union with Christ who, burning with the zeal of a conscientious devotion, pass over from the state of guilt to the grace of the Church. Pass over to me, all who desire me . They pass from death to life, that is, from the state of mortality and misery to the state of immortality and glory: I make all things new (Revelation 21:5).

Next, the persons invited are described: the mother of Jesus was there. Three are mentioned: the mother of Jesus, Jesus Himself, and the disciples. The mother of Jesus is mentioned first to indicate that Jesus was still unknown and not invited to the wedding as a famous person, but merely as one acquaintance among others; for as they invited the mother, so also her Son.

Or, perhaps His mother was invited first because they were uncertain whether Jesus would come to a wedding if invited, due to the unusual piety they noticed in Him and because they had not seen Him at other social gatherings. So I think they first asked His mother whether Jesus should be invited. That is why the Evangelist expressly said first that His mother was at the wedding, and that later Jesus was invited.

This is what comes next: and Jesus also was invited. Christ decided to attend this wedding, first, to give us an example of humility. For He did not look to His own dignity, but as Chrysostom says, “just as he condescended to accept the form of a servant, so he did not hesitate to come to the marriage of servants.” And as Augustine says, “let man blush to be proud, for God became humble.” Among His other acts of humility, the Son of the Virgin came to a marriage, which He had already instituted in paradise when He was with His Father. Of this example it is said: learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart (Matthew 11:29).

He came, second, to reject the error of those who condemn marriage. As Bede says, “if there were sin in a holy marriage bed and in a marriage carried out with due purity, the Lord would not have come to the marriage.” But because He did come, He implies that the baseness of those who denounce marriage deserves to be condemned. If she marries, it is not a sin (1 Corinthians 7:36).

The disciples are mentioned when he says, and his disciples. In its mystical meaning, the mother of Jesus, the Blessed Virgin, is present in spiritual marriages as the one who arranges the marriage, because it is through her intercession that one is joined to Christ through grace: in me is every hope of life and of strength . Christ is present as the true groom of the soul, as is said: he who has the bride is the bridegroom (John 3:29). The disciples are the groomsmen uniting the Church to Christ, as one of them said: I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a chaste virgin to Christ (2 Corinthians 11:2).

At this physical marriage, some role in the miracle belongs to the mother of Christ, some to Christ, and some to the disciples. When he says, and when the wine ran out, he indicates the part of each:

• The role of Christ’s mother was to oversee the miracle.
• The role of Christ was to perform it, at there were six stone waterpots nearby.
• The role of the disciples was to bear witness to it, at Jesus did this beginning of miracles.

Regarding the first point, Christ’s mother assumed the role of a mediatrix. She does two things: first, she intercedes with her Son; second, she instructs the servants, at his mother said to the waiters. As to her intercession, two things are mentioned: first, his mother’s plea; second, the answer of her Son, at and Jesus said to her: woman, what is that to me and to you?

In Mary’s intercession, we should note several things:

1. Her kindness and mercy. It is a quality of mercy to regard another’s distress as one’s own, because to be merciful is to have a heart distressed at the distress of another: who is weak, and I am not weak? (2 Corinthians 11:29). And so, because the Blessed Virgin was full of mercy, she desired to relieve the distress of others. So he says, and when the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him.
2. Her reverence for Christ. Because of the reverence we have for God, it is sufficient for us merely to express our needs: Lord, all my desires are known by you (Psalms 38:9). It is not our business to specify the way in which God will help us, for as it is said: we do not know what we should pray for as we ought (Romans 8:26). And so His mother merely told Him of their need, saying, they have no wine.
3. The Virgin’s concern and care. She did not wait until they were in extreme need, but acted when the wine ran out, that is, immediately. This is similar to what is said of God: a helper in times of trouble (Psalms 9:9).

Chrysostom asks why Mary never encouraged Christ to perform any miracles before this time. She had been told of His power by the angel, whose words had been confirmed by the many things she had seen happening concerning Him, all of which she remembered, thinking them over in her heart (Luke 2:51). The reason is that before this time, He lived like any other person. So, because the time was not appropriate, she put off asking Him. But now, after John’s witness to Him and after the conversion of His disciples, she trustingly prompted Christ to perform miracles. In this, she was a true symbol of the synagogue, which is the mother of Christ, for it was customary for the Jews to require miracles: the Jews require signs (1 Corinthians 1:22).

She says to Him, they have no wine. Here we should note that before the incarnation of Christ, three kinds of wine were running out: the wine of justice, of wisdom, and of charity or grace. Wine stings, and in this respect it is a symbol of justice. The Samaritan poured wine and oil into the wounds of the injured man; that is, he mingled the severity of justice with the sweetness of mercy. You have made us drink the wine of sorrow (Psalms 60:3). But wine also delights the heart: wine cheers the heart of man (Psalms 104:15). In this respect, wine is a symbol of wisdom, the meditation of which is enjoyable in the highest degree: her companionship has no bitterness . Furthermore, wine intoxicates: drink, friends, and be intoxicated, my dearly beloved (Song of Solomon 5:1). In this respect, wine is a symbol of charity: I have drunk my wine with my milk (Song of Solomon 5:1). It is also a symbol of charity because of its fervor: wine makes the virgins flourish (Zechariah 9:17).

The wine of justice was indeed running out under the old law, in which justice was imperfect. But Christ brought it to perfection: unless your justice is greater than that of the scribes and of the Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:20). The wine of wisdom was also running out, for it was hidden and symbolic, as it says: all these things happened to them in symbol (1 Corinthians 10:11). But Christ plainly brought wisdom to light: he was teaching them as one having authority (Matthew 7:29). The wine of charity was also running out, because they had received a spirit of servitude only in fear. But Christ converted the water of fear into the wine of charity when He gave the spirit of adoption as sons, by which we cry: ‘Abba, Father’ (Romans 8:15), and when the charity of God was poured out into our hearts (Romans 5:5).

Next, when he says, Jesus said to her: woman, the answer of Christ is given. This answer has been the occasion for three heresies.

The Manicheans claim that Christ had only an imaginary body, not a real one. Valentinus maintained that Christ assumed a celestial body and that, as far as His body was concerned, Christ was not related to the Virgin at all. The source of this error was that he understood woman, what does that have to do with me and you? as if it meant, “I have received nothing from you.” But this is contrary to the authority of Sacred Scripture. For the Apostle says: God sent his Son, made from a woman (Galatians 4:4). Now Christ could not be said to have been made from her unless He had taken something from her. Furthermore, Augustine argues against them: “How do you know that our Lord said, ‘what does that have to do with me and you?’ You reply that it is because John says so. But he also says that the Virgin was the mother of Christ. So, if you believe the Evangelist when he states that Jesus said this to his mother, you should also believe him when he says, ‘and the mother of Jesus was there.’”

Then there was Ebion, who said that Christ was conceived from a man’s seed, and Helvidius, who said that the Virgin did not remain a virgin after childbirth. They were deceived by the fact that He said, woman, which they thought implied the loss of virginity. But this is false, for in Sacred Scripture the word “woman” sometimes refers merely to the female sex, as it does in made from a woman (Galatians 4:4). This is also clear from the fact that Adam, speaking to God about Eve, said: the woman whom you gave me as a companion, gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate it (Genesis 3:12); for Eve was still a virgin in Paradise, where Adam had not known her. Therefore, the fact that the mother of Christ is here called woman in this Gospel does not imply a loss of virginity, but refers to her sex.

The Priscillianists, however, erred by misunderstanding the words of Christ, my hour has not yet come. They claimed that all things happen by fate, and that the actions of men, including those of Christ, are subject to predetermined times. That is why, according to them, Christ said, my hour has not yet come. But this is false for any person. Since man has free choice—because he has reason and will, both of which are spiritual—then obviously, as far as choice is concerned, man is not subject to bodies but is really their master. For spiritual things are superior to material things, so much so that the Philosopher says that the wise man is master of the stars. Their heresy is even less true of Christ, who is the Lord and Creator of the stars. Thus, when He says, my hour has not yet come, He is referring to the time of His passion, which was fixed for Him not by necessity, but according to divine providence. What is said in Sirach 33:7 is also contrary to their opinion: why is one day better than another? The answer is: they have been differentiated by the knowledge of the Lord, meaning they were differentiated from one another not by chance, but by God’s providence.

Since we have eliminated the above opinions, let us look for the reason why our Lord answered, woman, what does that have to do with me and you? According to Augustine, Christ has two natures, the divine and the human. Although the same Christ exists in each, the things appropriate to Him according to His human nature are distinct from what is appropriate to Him according to His divine nature. To perform miracles is appropriate to Him according to His divine nature, which He received from the Father, while to suffer is according to His human nature, which He received from His mother. So when His mother requests this miracle, He answers, woman, what does that have to do with me and you? as if saying: “I did not receive from you that in me which enables me to perform miracles, but that which enables me to suffer.” In other words, “That which makes it appropriate for me to suffer, my human nature, I have received from you.” And so I will recognize you when this weakness hangs on the cross. He therefore continues with, my hour has not yet come, as if to say, “I will recognize you as my mother when the time of my passion arrives.” And so it was that on the cross He entrusted His mother to the disciple.

Chrysostom explains this differently. He says that the Blessed Virgin, burning with zeal for the honor of her Son, wanted Christ to perform miracles at once, before it was opportune. But Christ, being much wiser than His mother, restrained her. He was unwilling to perform the miracle before the need for it was known; otherwise, it would have been less appreciated and less credible. And so He says, woman, what does that have to do with me and you? as if to say, “Why bother me?” He continues, My hour has not yet come, meaning, “I am not yet known to those present, nor do they know that the wine has run out. They must first know this, because when they know their need, they will have a greater appreciation for the benefit they will receive.”

Now, although His mother was refused, she did not lose hope in her Son’s mercy. So she instructs the servants, saying do whatever he tells you, which is, in fact, the perfection of all justice. For perfect justice consists in obeying Christ in all things: we will do all that the Lord commanded us (Exodus 24:7). However, the phrase do whatever he tells you is fittingly said only of God alone, for man is able to err at times. Therefore, in matters that are against God, we are not held to obey men: we ought to obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29). We ought to obey God, who does not err and cannot be deceived, in all things.

Now Christ’s completion of the miracle is set forth, at now there were six stone waterpots nearby. The text describes:

1. The vessels in which the miracle was performed.
2. The matter of the miracle, at Jesus said to them: fill the waterpots with water.
3. How the miracle was made known and approved, at and Jesus said to them: draw out now.

The miracle was performed in six vessels: now there were six stone waterpots nearby. Here we should note that, as mentioned, the Jews observed many bodily washings and the cleansing of their cups and dishes (Mark 7:4). Because they were in Palestine where there was a shortage of water, they had vessels in which they kept the purest water to be used for washing themselves and their utensils. Hence he says, there were six stone waterpots nearby, i.e., vessels for holding water, according to the purification of the Jews, that is, to use for purification, containing two or three measures apiece. The Greek ‘metrete’ is the same as the Latin ‘mensura’ (measure). These jars were standing there, as Chrysostom says, in order to eliminate any suspicion about the miracle. This was both on account of their cleanliness, so that no one could suspect that the water had acquired the taste of wine from the dregs of wine previously stored in them—for these jars were for purification and so had to be very pure—and also on account of their capacity, so that it would be abundantly clear that the water in such large jars could be changed into wine only by divine power (John 2:6).

In the mystical sense, the six water jars signify the six eras of the Old Testament, during which the hearts of men were prepared, made receptive to God’s Scriptures, and put forward as an example for our lives. The term measures, according to Augustine, refers to the Trinity of persons. They are described as two or three because at times in Scripture three persons in the Trinity are distinctly mentioned—baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19)—and at other times only two, the Father and the Son, in whom the Holy Spirit, who is the union of the two, is implied: if anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him (John 14:23). Or they are described as two on account of the two groups of mankind from which the Church arose, that is, Jews and Gentiles. Or three on account of the three sons of Noah, from whom the human race arose after the deluge.

Then, when he says Jesus said to them: fill the waterpots with water, he gives the material of the miracle. Here we might ask why this miracle was performed with existing material and not from nothing. There are three reasons for this.

1. The first reason is literal and is given by Chrysostom: to make something from nothing is much greater and more marvelous than to make something from material that already exists, but it is not as evident and believable to many. And so, wishing to make what He did more believable, Christ made wine from water, thus condescending to human capacity.
2. Another reason was to refute false doctrines. For there are some (like the Marcionites and Manicheans) who said that the founder of the world was someone other than God, and that all visible things were established by such a one, that is, the devil. And so the Lord performed many miracles using created and visible substances in order to show that these substances are good and were created by God.
3. The third reason is mystical. Christ made the wine from water, and not from nothing, in order to show that He was not laying down an entirely new doctrine and rejecting the old, but was fulfilling the old: I have not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). In other words, what was prefigured and promised in the old law was disclosed and revealed by Christ: then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures (Luke 24:45).

Finally, He had the servants fill the jars with water so that He might have witnesses to what He did; so it is said, but the waiters, who had drawn the water, knew.

Then, the miracle is made known, at and Jesus said to them. As soon as the jars were filled, the water was turned into wine. So the Lord reveals the miracle at once, saying: draw out now, and carry to the head waiter. Here, we first have the command of Christ selecting who is to test the wine; second, we have the judgment of the head waiter who tasted it: and when the headwaiter had tasted the water made wine.

Then Jesus said to them, that is, to the waiters, draw out the wine from the jars, and carry to the head waiter. Here we should note that a ‘triclinium’ is a place with three rows of tables, so named from its three rows of dining couches (for ‘cline’ in Greek means couch). The ancients were accustomed to eat reclining on couches, as Maximus Valerius recounts. This is why the Scriptures speak of lying next to and lying down. Thus the ‘architriclinus’ (head waiter) was the first and chief among those dining.

According to Chrysostom, the head waiter was the one in charge of the whole banquet. Because he had been busy and had not tasted anything, the Lord wanted him, and not the guests, to be the judge of what had been done. This was so that some could not detract from the miracle by saying the guests were drunk and, with their senses dulled, could not tell wine from water. For Augustine, he was the chief guest, as was mentioned, and Christ wanted to have the opinion of this person in a high position so it would be more acceptable.

In the mystical sense, those who pour out the water are preachers: with joy you will draw water from the springs of the Savior (Isaiah 12:3). And the architriclinus is someone skilled in the law, like Nicodemus, Gamaliel, or Paul. So, when the word of the Gospel, which was hidden under the letter of the law, is entrusted to such persons, it is as though wine made from water is poured out for the architriclinus, who, when he tastes it, gives his assent to the faith of Christ.

Then the judgment of the one examining the wine is given, and when the head waiter had tasted. First, he investigates the truth of the matter; second, he gives his opinion, at every man at first sets forth the good wine. He says, and when the head waiter had tasted the water made wine and did not know where it was from, because he did not know that the water had miraculously been made wine by Christ, but the waiters knew, the reason being that they had drawn the water. Then, the head waiter called the bridegroom in order to learn the truth and give his opinion of the wine. Hence he adds: every man at first sets forth the good wine.

Here we should consider, according to Chrysostom, that everything is most perfect in the miracles of Christ. Thus, He restored most complete health to Peter’s mother-in-law, so that she arose at once and waited on them (Mark 1:31; Matthew 8:15). Again, He restored the paralytic to health so perfectly that he also arose immediately, took up his mat, and went home, as we read (John 5:9). This is also evident in this miracle, because Christ did not make mediocre wine from the water, but the very best possible. And so the head waiter says, every man at first sets forth the good wine, and when men have drunk well, then that which is worse. This is because they drink less, and because good wine consumed in quantity along with a quantity of food causes greater discomfort. It is as though he were saying: “Where did this very good wine come from which, contrary to custom, you saved until now?”

This is appropriate to a mystery. In the mystical sense, he serves good wine first who, with an intent to deceive others, does not first mention the error he intends, but other things that entice his hearers, so that he can disclose his evil plans after they have been intoxicated and enticed to consent. We read of such wine: it goes down pleasantly, but finally it will bite like a serpent (Proverbs 23:31–32). Again, he serves good wine first who begins to live in a saintly and spiritual manner at the start of his conversion, but later sinks into a carnal life: are you so foolish as, having begun in the Spirit, to end in the flesh? (Galatians 3:3).

Christ, however, does not serve the good wine first, for at the outset He proposes things that are bitter and hard: narrow is the way that leads to life (Matthew 7:14). Yet the more progress a person makes in His faith and teaching, the more pleasant it becomes and the more he becomes aware of a greater sweetness: I will lead you by the path of justice, and when you walk you will not be hindered (Proverbs 4:11–12). Likewise, all those who desire to live conscientiously in Christ suffer bitterness and troubles in this world: amen, amen I say to you, that you will lament and weep (John 16:20). But later they will experience delights and joys. So he goes on: but your sorrow will be turned into joy. I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come, which will be revealed in us (Romans 8:18).

Then when he says, Jesus did this beginning of miracles in Cana of Galilee, he gives testimony of the miracle through the disciples. We can see from this the falsity of the apocryphal History of the Infancy of the Savior, which recounts many miracles performed by Christ as a boy. For if these accounts were true, the Evangelist would not have said, Jesus did this beginning of miracles in Cana of Galilee. We have already given the reason why Christ worked no miracles during His childhood: so that men would not regard them as illusions. It was for the reason given above, then, that Jesus performed this miracle of turning water into wine at Cana of Galilee, and manifested his glory. And Jesus revealed His glory, that is, the power by which He is glorious: the Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory (Psalms 24:10).

And his disciples believed in him. But how did they believe? For they already were His disciples and had believed before this. I answer that sometimes a thing is described not according to what it is at the time, but according to what it will be. For example, we say that the apostle Paul was born at Tarsus in Cilicia; not that an actual apostle was born there, but a future one was. Similarly, it says here that his disciples believed in him, meaning, those who would become His disciples in a fuller sense. Or, one might answer that previously they had believed in Him as a good man, preaching what was right and just, but now they believed in Him as God.