A thought on the Wedding at Cana

[MNeil]

An interesting thought came to my mind regarding one aspect of Jesus’ first miracle at Cana. As the Apostle John writes in his Gospel there were six stone jars used for the Jewish right of purification. As six conveys incompleteness biblically, there is a sense that John is also conveying the the rite of purification is itself incomplete, that Jesus himself will complete this rite through baptism. Added to this is the other thought that came to me. The stone jars themselves, unless the inner walls of the jars were glazed, would absorb some of the wine through the pores of the stone. Under Jewish laws and customs how pure and uncontaminated by other elements would the water have to be for use in the purification rite? Could the presense of wine in the jars, and wine within the pores of the stone walls were it could leach back into water replaced in the jars later render them unfit to hold water for the purification rite? If so Jesus might have not only performed his first miracle but by implication said the old way of purification is passing and that He would bring forth a new form of purification.

 

[Ruthie]

I love the Wedding at Cana. There is so much to digest there - and you have added one more thing! An interesting thought! Numbers are significant throughout the OT, and many times in the New.

I don’t want to hijack this thread, so take this as a side comment, please!

You’ve got me wondering if there might be a connection between the 5 loaves of one of the miracles of the bread and fishes and the 5 decades of the Rosary…? A food which multiplies? Hmm…

Ruthie

 

[Ruthie]

Back on topic…

Could the presense of wine in the jars, and wine within the pores of the stone walls were it could leach back into water replaced in the jars later render them unfit to hold water for the purification rite?

And, what if they did re-use the jars for purification water? Could the molecules of that miraculous wine, as a type of the Precious Blood, have an effect?

Makes to think!

Ruthie

 

[MNeil]

Ruthie, thanks for your reply. I had a thought on your’s on the number symbology of the loaves and fishes. 5 and 2 added together would become 7 and we know that 7 represents completness, purity, holiness, etc. I actually borrowed the concept of adding the numbers from the same article on the Wedding at Cana where my original question derives from. That article was written by Jacob Michael at lumengentleman.com. (Unfortunately, that website expired. See my thread on What happend to lumengentleman.)

In his article on Cana Jacob Michael comments that John’s Gospel from the opening parallels the opening of Genesis. Throughout John’s first chapter we have the first 4 days presented.
John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word…”
John 1:29 “On the next day…”
John 1:35 “again, the next day…”
and finally John 1:43 “the following day”

Chapter 2 then opens with the Wedding at Cana and says “on the third day”. The third day from the fourth would be 7 days. So, in essence John is bringing to mind the symbology of two very strong numbers 3 and 7.

Seven of course recalls in Genesis the wedding of Adam and Eve. At the Wedding at Cana we have another wedding were the principal personalities are Mary and Jesus, the new Eve and the new Adam. Following the symbology of 7 and completeness we have the end of times and the end of the book of Revelation wher there is once again a banquet and a wedding.

Going back to my original question then is the meaning of the number 6 with the waterpots. Specifically, the verse says “Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of the purifying of the Jews…” The number 6 is used with reference to the purification rite. As 6 has the meaning of incompleteness it would seem there is an implication of this rite as being incomplete, that jesus will complete this rite anew. However wher it is implied by the number symbology it came to my mind that it might have been made more explicit to the guests and disciples at the wedding that this rite was no longer required.

I realize this would depend on Jewish laws of cleanliness as it would apply to the water used for purification. Still, as stone is porous and will absorb liquid contents into it’s pours and later leach them back would this render the same pots now holding wine unsuitable for water for the purification rite. It’s an intriguing thought even if theer is no concrete answer. Certainly I’ve not come across this line of thought elsewhere.