Did Jesus encourage others to sin at the wedding of Cana?

[jkiernan56]

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”

Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it. When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. 10 And he said to him, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!”

The guests at the wedding RAN OUT OF WINE and Jesus performed a miracle making another **120 -180 GALLONS **of wine. The guests drank ALL the wine and Jesus provided MORE wine at the wedding. Did Jesus encourage others to sin?

 

[timotheos]

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”

Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it. When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. 10 And he said to him, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!”

The guests at the wedding RAN OUT OF WINE and Jesus performed a miracle making another **120 -180 GALLONS **of wine. The guests drank ALL the wine and Jesus provided MORE wine at the wedding. Did Jesus encourage others to sin?

I’m confused. Are you under the impression that a wedding in Jesus’ day bore some resemblance to a fraternity drunk fest? That Jesus’ only concern was that everybody continued to have a good time?

 

[jkiernan56]

I’m confused. Are you under the impression that a wedding in Jesus’ day bore some resemblance to a fraternity drunk fest? That Jesus’ only concern was that everybody continued to have a good time?

No - but then again I do think some people got drunk and others including Jesus got buzzed. I just like to see what kind of Jesus people know.

So drinking wine and getting a buzz from wine is ok? Do you think Jesus drank wine and got a “buzz”? Did some of the people at the wedding get drunk from drinking too much wine? Is getting drunk a sin?

 

[DexUK]

I’m not altogether sure your tone with regard to Jesus is all that respectful. Buzzed?

Giving you the benefit of the doubt though…

Wine has been a staple part of people’s diets for millennia. Indeed, given the antiseptic qualities of alcohol, in times gone by, when pasteurisation and preservatives were unheard of, wine (or beer) was frequently the only safe thing to drink. People’s tolerances for alcohol would necessarily have been different to our own, notwithstanding the fact that the alcohol content would very likely have been different and quite possibly substantially lower than we are used to.

I think it is quite wrong to judge by the standards of our day particular actions of a society 2000 years ago.

While we might consider alcohol consumption to be dangerous one has to remember that this is a hangover (ahem!) from the Puritan days where any form of enjoyment was considered a sinful vice.

So, in a culture where weak wine was probably safer than water to drink and where it was ubiquitous, and where people were accustomed to drinking it regularly, is there sin involved in encouraging people to drink it?

Certainly not if Jesus did it.

But that was then, this is now and if we did it today?

Potentially it could be sinful. Because our society is different. Our tolerances for alcohol are different. The drinks themselves are different. The consequences from drinking such beverages are different (no cars back then). Etc, etc…

We have to consider our actions in relation to what is going on around us and relative to our responsibility towards others.

 

[jkiernan56]

I’m not altogether sure your tone with regard to Jesus is all that respectful. Buzzed?

Giving you the benefit of the doubt though…

No disrespect intended to Jesus. Not only is He the 2nd Person of the Holy Trinity, He is also fully human as well. When I speak about Jesus getting a “buzz” drinking wine, I am referring to His humanity.

 

[jkiernan56]

People’s tolerances for alcohol would necessarily have been different to our own, notwithstanding the fact that the alcohol content would very likely have been different and quite possibly substantially lower than we are used to.

The grapes of yesterday are the same as the grapes of today. The wine of yesterday is the same as the wine today. In fact, I think the wine Jesus made was probably the best wine ever produced … from the hand of the Creator Himself.

 

[Nan_S]

No - but then again I do think some people got drunk and others including Jesus got buzzed. I just like to see what kind of Jesus people know.

So drinking wine and getting a buzz from wine is ok? Do you think Jesus drank wine and got a “buzz”? Did some of the people at the wedding get drunk from drinking too much wine? Is getting drunk a sin?

Jesus Himself addressed this objection. He was speaking to a crowd which specifically included tax collectors and Pharisees:

Luke 7:33-34 For John the Baptist came neither eating food nor drinking wine, and you said, ‘He is possessed by a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking and you said, ‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’

It seems you are viewing Jesus’ actions at the wedding of Cana through the eyes of the Pharisees. Jesus made several large jars of fine wine for a large wedding crowd, at a wedding feast that lasted a full week. Fine wine has a fairly low alcohol content. He didn’t make jars full of concentrated rot-gut wine for a handful of people to drink in one night.

Alcoholic beverages, when consumed in moderation, have healthful effects. The sin comes in abusing alcohol. Abuse of food or any of the other pleasurable gifts God gives us is also sinful.

 

[DexUK]

The grapes of yesterday are the same as the grapes of today. The wine of yesterday is the same as the wine today. In fact, I think the wine Jesus made was probably the best wine ever produced … from the hand of the Creator Himself.

Ah, but by what yardstick do you measure ‘best’?

Alcohol content? Taste? Colour?

It need not necessarily have been exceptional in its alcohol content. In all probability it was, quite simply, delicious.

 

[Musicadmirer]

Ah, but by what yardstick do you measure ‘best’?

Alcohol content? Taste? Colour?

It need not necessarily have been exceptional in its alcohol content. In all probability it was, quite simply, delicious.

Such an eloquent, yet short commentary; I could hear an English accent while reading that

 

[Devout_One]

I think you are making assumptions that are not supported by the text.

Also what makes you think people of that time approached wine like some people of today, i.e. drink until inebriated?

Why do you think drinking wine at a wedding feast automatically means getting buzzed or drunk? What is your historical understanding of wine in that ancient culture? Why do you posit that Christ, fully human and fully divine, would lead any soul to sin? Do understand who Christ is and His mission and have you ever heard of the law of non-contradiction?

If you understand the person of Christ, you would understand that the question poses a contradiction. Christ came to set us free from sin and He does not/cannot lead us to sin despite your assumptions about the cultural drinking habits of an ancient society.

 

[the_phoenix]

This thread has just encouraged me
to put wine on my grocery list this week.

 

[valient_Lucy]

I’ve heard that wine in Bible days was actually weaker in terms of alcohol level. I don’t know why, or if that’s true.

Plus, if I remember correctly, weddings in Bible times could go on for days. So the wine could have been drunk over days.

We’re also talking about a different culture, where wine and alcohol were far more acceptible and prevalent.

 

[valient_Lucy]

This thread has just encouraged me
to put wine on my grocery list this week.

Since you live in Ohio, try Pink Catawba. If you like sweet wine.

 

[bona_fides_1]

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”

Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it. When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. 10 And he said to him, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!”

The guests at the wedding RAN OUT OF WINE and Jesus performed a miracle making another **120 -180 GALLONS **of wine. The guests drank ALL the wine and Jesus provided MORE wine at the wedding. Did Jesus encourage others to sin?

To answer the question - no.

Did Jesus encourage others to gluttony when he worked the miracle of loaves and fishes and had left overs?

Does Jesus encourage others to sin when He says that He will give life abundantly and make one’s cup over flow as an expression of his great generosity?

Can a person be encouraged to sin by God offering unfathomable mercy? Well, in spite of some Protestant faiths thinking just this thing (one can no longer sin once they profess their faith and are “saved”) God’s mercy can not be taken as an invitation to sin anymore so than God’s generosity can be taken as an invitation to gluttony or drunkenness…

Case closed.

BF