John 2:1-11.
And on the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of JEsu was there. JEsu and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. And when there was no wine, JEsu's mother said unto him, They have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? My hour has not yet come. And his mother saith unto the servants, What he saith unto you, do. And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the Jews' cleansing; and into each went two or three measures. Jesus said to them: Fill the water jars with water. And they filled them to the top. And he saith unto them, Draw ye therefore, and bring unto the Master of the feast. And they brought it. And when the master of the feast had tasted the wine that was water, and knew not whence it came (but the servants knew, who had drawn the water), the master of the feast called unto the bridegroom, and said unto him, Every man giveth good wine at the first, and when they are drunken, then the less; thou hast kept the good wine until now. This is the first sign that Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, revealing his glory. And his disciples believed in him.
1) Enough has been written about the conjugal state, which we will now leave pending, and in this Gospel we will deal with three pieces: the first, about the consolation that married couples receive from their spouses.
have their status half from this story; the other, from the faith and love that this gospel shows; the third, from the spiritual significance of this wedding.
(2) In the first place, it is glorious that Christ himself goes to the wedding with his mother and disciples, and his mother is there as the host of such a wedding, so that it seems that it was her poor closest friends or neighbors that she had to be the mother of the bride, although it was no more than a wedding and not a pomp. For Christ kept his teaching that he did not go to the rich, but to the poor; or when he comes to the great and the rich, he does so, punishes and reproaches, that he gets away with disgrace and does not deserve much thanks for them, let alone that he should honor them with a miraculous deed, as he does here.
The other honor is that he gives good wine to the poor wedding with a great miraculous sign and becomes the bride's chief gift; perhaps he had no other money or jewels to give. He has never done such honor to the Pharisees, for he confirms that marriage is God's work and order: no matter how despised or small it may be in the eyes of the people, God still recognizes his work and loves it. This is what our Caiphas himself often said and preached, that the marriage state is the only one that God has instituted. Who then instituted the others? Without a doubt not God, but the devil through his people; nor do they shun, reject and blaspheme him, and are so holy that they not only do not become married themselves, as they ought to and should; but in the face of other holiness they do not want to be at any wedding, as they are much holier than Christ himself, who goes to the wedding as an unholy sinner.
Since the marriage state has the reason and comfort that it was established by God and that God loves it, and since Christ Himself honors and comforts it in this way, it should be dear and valuable to everyone, and the heart should be of good cheer, so that it is certain of the state that God loves, and should happily suffer everything that is difficult in it, even if it were ten times more difficult. For this is why there is so much trouble and unwillingness in the marriage state according to the outward man, so that everything that God's word
The way of life and work must be so that it is sour, bitter and difficult for the outward man, if it is to be blissful in any other way. Therefore, it is also a state that drives and practices the faith in God, the love for the neighbor through all kinds of toil and work, unpleasantness, cross and all kinds of unpleasantness; as should follow everything that is God's word and work. All of which the chaste whoremongers and holy sissies and sodomites are above, and serve God apart from God in their own actions.
005 For this also Christ signifieth, that he will supply that which is lacking in marriage, that he will give wine where it is lacking, and will make the same of water: as if he should say, Must ye drink water, that is, suffer affliction after the outward manner, and be sore to you? Well then, I will make it sweet for you and turn the water into wine, so that your affliction will be your joy and pleasure; I will not do this in such a way that I will take away the water or pour it out hot; it will remain, yes, I will pour it out hot first and make it full to the top. For I will not relieve Christian marriage of its affliction, but rather will add to it. It shall be strange, that no man shall know it, save they that know it; even thus:
6. it is the word of God by which all things are made, preserved and transformed; this is the word of God that turns your water into wine and your sour marriage into pleasure. That God created marriage, Genesis 2:22, the heathen and unbelievers do not know, therefore their water remains water and never becomes wine; for they do not feel My pleasure and delight in married life: which if they felt, they would have such delight in My pleasure that they would not feel half of their affliction, yes, only from the outside, but would not feel it inwardly. And this would be the way to make wine out of water, to mix my pleasure into your displeasure and hold it against each other; so my pleasure would drown your displeasure in itself and also make a pleasure out of it; but such my pleasure no one shows and gives to you except my word, Gen. 1, 31: "God saw all that he had made, and it pleased him very well."
(7) Here Christ also shows that he is not displeased with the wedding fare, nor with all that is proper for a wedding, such as adornment and merrymaking, eating and drinking, as the custom and the country requires; which seems to be a superfluity and lost fare, and a worldly thing; so far, however, that all this has its measure and is similar to a wedding. For bride and bridegroom must be adorned, and the guests must eat and drink if they are to be merry. And such food and company may all be done with a good conscience; for the Scriptures now and then report such things, and of the bride's adornment, of the wedding garment, of guests and good living at the wedding, it is also written in the Gospel. For example, Abraham's servant, Genesis 24:53, gave to Rebekah, Isaac's bride, and to her brothers, jewels of gold and silver; that in this no one should turn to the sour-faced hypocrites and self-grown saints, who like nothing but what they themselves do and teach, and should not suffer a maid to wear a garland or to adorn herself a little.
8 God is not interested in such an outward appearance, where only faith and love remain, provided, as has been said, that it is moderate, according to each person's station. For this wedding, though it was poor and small, still had three tables; which is suggested by the little word architriclinus, that the master of the feast had three tables to provide; and the bridegroom himself did not perform such an office, and had servants; they must also drink wine: which all, if one wanted to follow mere poverty, might have remained, as happens with us. The guests will not have quenched their thirst with the wine alone, for the master of the banquet says how one should give the good wine first and then, when they are drunk, give the less. Christ allows all these things to happen, and they should also be allowed to happen, so that they do not become conscience-stricken. Therefore they were not of the devil, if some of this wine drank a little more than they were thirsty and became merry; otherwise you will have to blame Christ for having given cause with his gift.
and his mother asked for it; that both Christ and his mother are sinners here, where the sour-sighted saints should judge.
(9) But such excess as goes on in our day is from the way in which men neither eat nor drink, but eat and drink, feast and feast, and make themselves as if it were art or strength to eat and drink much; neither seek to be merry, but to be mad and full. But these are swine, not men; to such Christ would not give wine, nor have come to them. So also with the clothing it is not directed to marriage, but to looking and showing off, as if those were the best who are strongest, to wear gold, silver and pearls and to spoil much silk and cloth, which also the donkeys could do and the sticks.
What then is the measure? Reason should teach this, and take examples from other countries and cities, where there is no such ostentation and excess. But that I say what I think, I consider that a peasant would be well adorned if he wore to his wedding as good clothes as he wears every day in his work; a burgher as well; and a nobleman as well adorned as a burgher; an earl as well as a nobleman; a prince as well as an earl; and so on. So also with eating and drinking and having guests it should be directed according to the dignity of the estates, and the well-being should be directed to joy, not to becoming full and mad.
(11) Whether it is sinful to whistle and dance at a wedding, since it is said that much sin comes from dancing? Whether there were dances among the Jews, I do not know; but because it is the custom of the country to invite guests, to decorate, to eat, to drink, and to be merry, I do not know how to condemn it without the excess, if it is lewd or too much.) That
*It is to be noted that Luther, when he permits the dancing of the Christians, has just the dancing of his time in mind. Today's round dances were not yet a general "national custom" at that time; the dancers usually only touched each other with their hands and kept a company in the hall in measured steps or also jumped back and forth, especially if the dance took place outdoors. Cf. History of the Art of Dancing by Albert Ezer-.
But if there are sins, it is not only the fault of dancing, since the same things happen at table and in church; just as it is not the fault of eating and drinking that some become sows over it. But where it is chaste, I let the wedding have its right and use, and dance all the time. Faith and love cannot be danced out or sat out, if you are chaste and moderate in it. The young children dance without sin; do the same, and become
winski, Leipzig 1862. p. 162, etc. Of course, even at that time, dancing was often associated with all kinds of immoralities. But Luther did not approve of "all excess, which is lewd and too much", but punished and forbade it. And we know that he regarded just the round dances, as they are common today, as lewd and condemned them with sharp words. In "Dr. Martin Luther's Letters, Epistles and Concerns" by de Wette, Volume VI, page 435, there is the following "Concern about Dancing":
Doctoris Martini Lutheri de ducendis choreis judicium.
"Choreae sunt institutae et concessae, ut civilitas discatur in frequentia et discant adolescentes venerari femineum sexum atque contrahatur amicitia inter adolescentes et puellas honestas, quo postea certius eas ambire possint. Papa damnavit choreas, qui adversarius fuit nuptiis legitimis. Ideo simul ad nuptias invitantur etiam honestae aliquae matronae et viri, qui sunt spectatores, ut omnia modeste fiant. Sed unum est, quod mihi in ducendis choreis displiceat, et velim id publice a magistratu prohiberi: ne adolescentes in gyros ducerent puellas praesertim in publico multis spectantibus."
Zudeutsch: Dr. NR. Luther's judgment on the performance of dances.
"The dances were instituted and permitted in order that courtesy in intercourse might be learned, and that young men might learn to honor the female sex, and that friendship might be made between young men and respectable girls, so that later they might be all the more sure of wooing them. The pope condemned the dances because he was hostile to legal, proper weddings. Therefore, at the same time, some respectable women and men are invited to the wedding, who watch, so that everything is done with moderation. But there is one thing that I dislike in the performance of dances, and I would like this to be publicly prevented by the authorities: namely, that the young men turn the girls around in circles, especially publicly, when many are watching."
And so many authorities, especially city councils in Luther's time and later, have issued public prohibitions against "dancing without a cloak with twisting". In these decrees, especially "swinging or throwing the maiden or dancer around" is prohibited.
a child, dancing does not harm you. Otherwise, where dancing would be a sin in itself, you would not have to allow the children to do it. That's enough about the wedding.
12 On the other hand, coming to the gospel, we see here the example of love in Christ and his mother. The mother serves and is housemother, Christ honors the host with his own person, with miracle and gift; and all this is done for the good of the bridegroom, the bride, and the guests; as is the manner of love and its works. That Christ may draw all hearts to trust in him, who is ready to help and not to let go, even in temporal goods; that they may not suffer need, all who believe in him, whether it be temporal or eternal goods; and had rather water be turned into wine, and all creatures be changed, and turned into that thing which his believer needs. He must have enough who believes, and no one can hinder it.
(13) But the example of faith is even more wonderful in this gospel, where it comes to the very end, that the lack is felt by all who are there, and there is no more counsel or help. This proves the nature of divine grace, that it cannot be given to anyone who has had enough before and does not yet feel his lack. For it feeds not those who are full and satisfied, but the hungry; as we have often said. He who is still wise, strong and pious, and finds something good in himself, and is not yet poor, miserable, sick, a sinner and a fool, cannot come to the Lord Christ nor obtain grace.
(14) But where the lack is felt, he goes on, and does not give so soon what one may and desires, but goes on and tries faith and trust, as he does here; yes, which is even more bitter, he acts as if he did not want anything at all, but speaks harshly and sternly. This can be seen here in his mother: she feels and complains about his lack, and also asks for help and advice from him with a humble and sincere request. For she does not say, "Dear son, give us wine," but, "You have no wine. With this she only touches his kindness,
She is completely devoted to him. As if it were to say, "He is so good and gracious that I must not ask; I will only tell him what is lacking, and he will do it of himself more than one asks. Faith is thus minded and imagines God's goodness, and does not doubt that it is so; therefore it also dares to ask and present its need.
15 But behold, how unkindly he rejects the humble request of his mother, who says such things to him with great confidence. Then see how faith is formed; what does he have before him? Vain nothingness and darkness: he feels the lack and sees no help anywhere; God also becomes strange and wild to him, and does not know that vain nothing remains. It is the same in the conscience, when we feel sin and lack of righteousness; or in deathly distress, when we feel lack of life; or in the fear of hell, when eternal bliss wants to be missing: there is certainly humble longing and knocking, pleading and seeking, how we can be rid of the sins, death and fear; so he then acts as if the sins should come first and foremost, and death should remain, and hell should not cease. Just as he does here to his mother, to whom he makes the lack greater and more severe by his rejection than it was before she asked him for it; for now it seems as if it were all lost, now that the one consolation on which she relied in the lack is also gone.
(16) Now here is faith in the right fight; behold how his mother does, and teaches us here. How harsh his words are, how unkind he is; yet she does not interpret all this in her heart as anger or against his kindness, but remains firm in her mind that he is kind, and does not allow such a delusion to be taken away by the puff, that she should therefore also put him to shame in her heart and not think him kind or merciful; as those do who are without faith and fall back at the first blow, and think no further of God than they feel the horses and mouths do, Ps. 32:9. 32, 9. For if the mother had allowed herself to be deterred by these harsh words, she would have gone away quiet and displeased; but now she commands the servants to do what he would say, she proves,
that she has overcome the whorehouse, and still nothing but vain goodness awaits her from him.
(17) What do you think is a hellish blow when a man in his distress, especially in the great distresses of conscience, feels that God is saying to him: Quid mihi 6t tidi? "What have I to do with you?" He must despair and despair where he does not know and know the nature of such works of God, and is practiced in faith; for he does as he feels, nor does he think otherwise of God than as the words read. But he feels vain wrath and hears vain disgrace: so he thinks of God as his enemy and wrathful judge. As he thinks of God, so he finds him. So he cannot think of anything good to say to him. This means that he denies God with all his goodness. Then he flees from him and hates him, wanting God not to be God, and all the blasphemies that are the fruit of unbelief.
(18) Therefore this part of the gospel is the highest, and well to be remembered, that we must give glory to God, that He is kind and gracious, even though He Himself presents and says Himself differently, and all senses and all feelings think differently. For in this way feeling is killed and the old man perishes, so that only faith in God's goodness remains and no feeling in us. For here you see how the mother keeps a free faith and holds it up to us as an example. She is sure that he will be merciful, as she does not feel; it is also certain that she feels differently than she believes. Therefore she lets his goodness be free and commanded, and sets him neither time nor place, neither manner nor measure, neither person nor name; let him do it when it pleases him. If it does not happen in the middle of the meal, let it happen at the end or after the meal. I want to eat the slap in me that he sneers at me and makes me stand in shame before all the guests, and speaks to me so unkindly and makes us all red with shame. He is angry, but I know that he is sweet. Let us do likewise, and we shall be true Christians.
19 But notice how he is also so hard on his own courage, in that he does not only teach us the aforementioned example of faith.
but also confirms that we are not to know father or mother in the affairs and service of God, as Moses says Deut. 33:9: "He that saith to his father and mother, I know them not, keepeth thy statutes, O Israel." For though there is no greater power from earth than father's and mother's power: yet it is out when God's word and work are concerned; for in divine matters neither father nor mother, much less bishop or any man, but God's word alone shall teach and guide. And where father and mother would tell you, teach you, or even ask you to do something against God and in worship that is not clearly commanded and ordered by God, you shall say to them: Quid mihi et tibi? What do I and you have to do with each other? Just as here Christ did not want to do the work of God, because his own mother wanted it.
20. for father and mother are also guilty, yes, for this very reason father and mother were made by God, that they should not teach the children according to their own conceit and devotion and lead them to God, but according to the commandments of God; as also St. Paul says Eph. 6, 4: "You parents, bring up your children according to the discipline and teaching of the Lord," that is, teach them God's commandment and word, as you have learned it, and not your own thing. So you also see here in the Gospel that the Mother of Christ directs the servants away from her to Christ, saying not, "Do what I tell you;" but, "Do what he will tell you." Only to his word should everyone point, where one wants to point rightly: so that this word of Mary, "What he says to you, do", is and should be a daily word of all Christianity, and with it all teachings of men are pushed to the ground, and what is not really Christ's word; and should firmly believe that it is not the commandment of the church, as they boast and lie about what is commanded apart from and above God's word. For Mary saith, What he saith, that, that do; and no other: for there shall be enough to do.
(21) Here you also see how faith does not fail and God does not leave it, but gives more and more glorious than one asks. For here not only wine is given, but also more delicious wine.
and good wine given, and of that the multitude. So that he may tempt and entice us once again to believe in him with comfort, even though he may be distracted. For he is true and cannot deny himself; he is good and gracious, which he must confess of himself and also prove, unless he is hindered and not given the time, place and way to do so.
22) On the third, we should also touch the spiritual interpretation recently. This wedding and all weddings signify Christ, the true bridegroom, and his Christianity, the bride; as the Gospel Matth. 22, 2. ff. sufficiently shows.
23 This marriage took place in Cana of Galilee, that is, Christianity began in the days of Christ among the Jewish people, and still continues among all who are like the Jews. The Jewish people is called Cana, which means zeal, because they practiced the law seriously and kept the works of the law with great zeal, so that the gospels also call them zealots everywhere, especially St. Paul Rom. 9, 31. and 10, 2. It is also natural, where there is law and good works, that there is zeal and strife among each other, where one wants to be better than the other, but first against the faith, which does not want to respect their work and only insists on God's grace. Now there are always such zealots where Christ is, and his wedding must be in Zealot City; for one always finds works saints and Jewish zealots beside the gospel and faith, who quarrel with the faith.
Galilee means the border or the end of the country, where one comes out of one country into another. It also means the same people of Zealot City, that they dwell between the law and the gospel, and should go forth and step from works into faith, from the law into Christian liberty; as some did and still do. But the other part abides in works and in limitations, that they attain neither good works nor faith, and cover themselves with the appearance and glitter of works.
25. but that Christ was invited to the wedding
means that he was promised long before in the law and the prophets, and his heart was waited for and called, that he turned the water into wine, fulfilled the law and established faith, and made right Galileans out of us.
26. his disciples with him; for they waited for him, that he should be a great king, needing many apostles and disciples, that his word should be preached abundantly everywhere. Item, his mother is the Christian church, taken from the Jews, which was there, when the most belongs to the wedding; because Christ was actually promised to the Jewish people.
(27) The six stone water jars, out of which the Jews washed, are the books of the Old Testament, which by law and commandment made the Jewish people only outwardly pious and clean; wherefore also the evangelist says that the jars stood there after the Jewish cleansing; as if he should say, It signifieth the cleansing that is done by works without faith, which never cleanseth the heart, but maketh it more unclean; which is a Jewish cleansing, and not Christian or spiritual.
28. but that the jars were six signifies the toil and labor that are in such purification that deal with works; for the heart has no rest in it, because there is not the Sabbath, the seventh day, when we rest from our works and let God work in us. For the days of work are six, in which God created heaven and earth and commanded us to work. The seventh day is the day of rest, when we do not labor with works of the law, but let God work in us by faith, and we keep still and celebrate our law-keeping.
(29) The water therein is the mind and meaning of the law, by which the conscience is governed, and is set in letters as in jars.
(30) And they are stony, as the tables of Moses were; but mean the stiff-necked people of the Jews. For as their heart is against the law, so the law shows itself against them without. It seems hard and heavy to them, therefore it is hard and heavy, which makes their heart hard and heavy to the law; as we all are.
We find, feel and experience that we are hard and difficult for good, and soft and easy for evil. And this is not felt by the wicked, but by those who would like to be pious and almost labor with works. These are the two or three measures of these jars.
31 To turn water into wine is to make the mind of the law sweet. It goes like this. Before the gospel came, everyone understood the law as if it demanded our works and we had to do enough for it with our works. From this understanding either hardened, presumptuous glibness and hypocrisy, harder than any stony pitcher, or anxious restless consciences. For there always remains the water in the jar, fear and stupidity before God's judgment. This is the state of the wafer; one does not drink from it, nor does anyone become happy from it; but there is only a vain washing and cleansing, and yet one never becomes truly clean inwardly. But the gospel transfigures the law in such a way that it demands more than we are able, and wants to have another man than we are who can keep it, that is, it demands Christ and drives us to the same, so that through the grace of Christ we first become other people in faith and like Christ, and then do right good works. So that the right understanding and opinion of the law is to lead us in the knowledge of our inability, and to drive us to another, namely to Christ, to seek grace and help.
32Therefore, when Jesus would have made wine, he commanded that more water should be poured up to the top. For the gospel cometh, and glorifieth the understanding of the law, as it is said, in the most perfect manner, how that our things are nothing, but vile sin; wherefore we cannot be made sinless by the law. When the two or three measures hear this, the good hearts that have labored under the law with works, and are already in themselves fearful and troubled in conscience, this understanding frightens them much more, and now the water wants to go over the basket and the pitcher. Earlier they felt heavy and hard to do good, but thought they could still get there by works; now they hear that they are no good at all and that it is impossible to get there by works. The jar is too full.
The law is understood to the highest degree, and there is only despair.
The comforting gospel comes and turns the water into wine. For when the heart hears that Christ fulfills the law for us and takes our sin upon Himself, it no longer asks that it be impossible that the law should be required of us, and that we should despair of it and cease from works. Yes, it is now delicious and tastes good that the law is so deep and high, so holy, right and good, and demands such great things, and is therefore loved and praised that it demands so much and so great. This means that such a heart has everything in Christ that is required by the law, and would be extremely sorry if the law demanded less. Behold, the law is now sweet and easy, which before was hard, difficult, even impossible; for it now lives in the heart through the Spirit. The water is no longer in jars; it has become wine, distributed, drunk, and has made the heart glad.'
34 These servants are therefore all preachers of the New Testament, as, the apostles and their followers.
35) The drawing and pouring out is to take such understanding from the Scriptures and preach it before all the world who are invited to the wedding of Christ.
(36) And these servants know well, saith the evangelist, whence the wine is, how it was water. For the apostles and their followers alone understand how the law is made sweet through Christ, and how the gospel through faith does not fulfill the law with works, but has become a different being than it was before in works.
37 But the master of the feast tastes the wine well, that it is good, and does not know where it comes from. This food master is the old priesthood among the Jews, who only know about works, like Nicodemus was, Joh. 3, 9., who noticed that it was good about Christ, but does not know how it happens and where it comes from, still hangs on works; because work teachers may not understand nor recognize the gospel and faith.
(38) He challenges the bridegroom, reproaching him for having given the good wine last, when all men give the less last. This is the wonder of the Jews to this day, that the preaching of the gospel should have been so long delayed and now become first of all to the Gentiles, and that they should have drunk evil wine so long, and in the law have borne the burden and heat of the day so long; as is also meant elsewhere in the gospel, Matth. 20:12.
39. and notice that God and men go against each other. Men give first the best, then the worst: God first the cross and suffering, then honor and blessedness. That is why men try to preserve the old man; that is why they also teach to preserve the laws with works and give great sweet promises. But it turns out stale and the end tastes bad, for the conscience gets worse and worse the longer it goes on; although it does not feel such sorrow from great drunkenness from the great promises: but at last, when the wine has been digested and the false promises are over, it will find itself. But God first makes evil promises and gives evil wine, even water; but afterwards He comforts with His promises of the Gospel, which endure forever.