Wedding of Cana and Protestants?

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anneramones

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The first one to notice the lack of wine at Cana is the Blessed Mother, and she immediately intercedes for the newlyweds. Jesus doesn’t really want to intervene but Mary insists and he does what his Mother asks him to do. What’s the Protestant view on this? What do they say to deny it? The first thing that the evangelist points out is the presence of Mary at the banquet. If her presence wasn’t important there wouldn’t have been the need to write it.
 
I don’t think you’ll find too many Protestant who would deny that Jesus did as Mary asked. Protestants (and Catholics too me thinks) believe this is a great example of Jesus honoring the 5th Commandment. Protestants in general hold Mary in high regard, after all - she said “Yes” to God Almighty. Her selfless obedience is a model for all of us.

As to intercessory prayer, I would say that the average Protestant would refer directly to Romans 8:26:

“In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; 27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”

Praying to Mary - and to Saints - is a very…cultural thing I would say. I know you can make an argument for it Biblically, and I know Catholics are very comfortable with such prayer. I would just say that it makes many Protestants very uncomfortable. We’re just not “brought up” in the faith that way.

For example, I went to a Catholic Bible study one time and, as all Christians do, we opened with prayer. The leader said, “Let’s pray…Holy Mother…” and went on to pray a prayer. I know in my head that he was asking her to intercede for us. I know there is scriptural support for intercessory prayer to Saints (and all believers). I know that Catholics venerate Mary and don’t worship her. And yet…it was still very uncomfortable and awkward for me. This doesn’t mean I don’t respect my Catholic brothers and sisters for their beliefs - it just means its something that’s hard for me personally to experience.
 
As a former Baptist, there was no issue about her telling Jesus they were out of wine. She was simply the person who pointed it out. We made no connection between this and it being Christ’s first miracle, i.e., her intercession. I guess I’d now say it was selective belief.
 
Of course we all know, as I was taught in my Protestant youth, he didn’t really turn water into wine but a “really fine grape juice”, right? 🤣

This was one of those things where Protestants in my youth thoroughly confounded me by making the claim the scripture spoke so clearly and plainly, yet Mary’s role at Cana was insignificant.

Lastly, there’s the age-old argument that it doesn’t matter because she’s dead now and dead people can’t intercede nor hear prayers, so we just shouldn’t give the qualities of God to Mary and Saints. (Again, despite Bible passages that seem to pretty clearly indicate otherwise.)
 
Usually, when I’ve heard non-Catholic Christians bring up the Cana narrative, they point out that Jesus seemingly disrespects Mary, and calls her ‘woman’ rather than ‘Mother’. 🤷‍♂️
 
Gorgias said:
Usually, when I’ve heard non-Catholic Christians bring up the Cana narrative, they point out that Jesus seemingly disrespects Mary, and calls her ‘woman’ rather than ‘Mother’.
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Not in my past experience. Woman is the same word Christ used at the cross. It’s not that we were taught to disrespect Mary, but failed to recognize that she was the Ark of the New Covenant and other references to her importance throughout scripture.
 
It is Biblical that the saints in heaven intercede for us…see Rev 5:8.
 
anneramones said:
What’s the Protestant view on this?
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I heard the passage talked about a lot in various Protestant churches. Most gloss over Mary’s role beyond it just be narrative, and I barely considered the significance of her role prior to becoming Catholic. At most, all I really noticed was that Jesus, the New Adam, referred to her the same way Adam originally referred to Eve - by calling her “woman”. That came around the time I started taking interest in Catholicism.

With that said, Mary did occasionally get discussed. Some saw His referring to her as “woman” as a sign of disrespect and would joke, “Why do the Catholics honor her when Jesus didn’t!” Others wouldn’t go so far as to have Jesus breaking the fourth/fifth commandment, but they would read His words as Him being angry at some sin Mary allegedly committed. I’ve read a couple commentaries that, put together, could make content for a debate on what that sin was.
Cor_ad_Cor said:
he didn’t really turn water into wine but a “really fine grape juice”, right? 🤣
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Ah! The results of interpreting the Bible with modern refrigeration! How such technology blinds us!
 
ZMystiCat said:
At most, all I really noticed was that Jesus, the New Adam, referred to her the same way Adam originally referred to Eve - by calling her “woman”.
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Remember what Adam said? “Bone of my bone. Flesh of my flesh. She shall be called woman for out of man she has been taken.”

How would Jesus consider this? “Bone of my bone. Flesh of my flesh…”
 
ZMystiCat said:
Some saw His referring to her as “woman” as a sign of disrespect and would joke, “Why do the Catholics honor her when Jesus didn’t!” Others wouldn’t go so far as to have Jesus breaking the fourth/fifth commandment, but they would read His words as Him being angry at some sin Mary allegedly committed.
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Just wow. I have never, ever heard this in my 60 years of Protestant. Shame on anyone who would teach this.
 
As this was today’s Gospel I had some questions which I wonder if anyone can help me with.

So Jesus says “My hour has not yet come” so why does Mary proceed to “force” Him to act by telling the servers “Do whatever he tells you”?

What exactly is going on? If He is obeying her to fulfill the commandment then wouldn’t He be disobeying God His Father?

I am just confused at this passage! Thank you.
 
Mary didn’t force him. Maybe he needed a little nudge and she knew he could help.

Do you suppose she had seen and heard it before?

Mary: “Aw, we’re out of flour again.”

Jesus: “And?”

Mary: “Nevermind. We’ve got plenty. Thanks, kid!”
 
Why does Jesus say His hour has not yet come and Mary ignore His comment?
 
@joyfulandactive
joyfulandactive said:
So Jesus says “My hour has not yet come”
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Jesus does everything according to the will of the Father and according to the scriptures ,in word and letter,and according to the time and the hour,Here Jesus is calling her women as he does the same on the cross ,she is not only His Mother but the women in Gen 3:15 and the Mother of all of us ,it is also the Jn ch 2 is to glorifies her in a subtle way ,when he heeded her request ,knowing her as his mother and daughter of the Heavenly Father and united with the will of God and her son as in , 1 Corinthians 6:17 But anyone united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.She also full of Wisdom and know exactly what to Do.as in

John 9:31 says we know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will. Which Mother Mary did, co-operated by doing His Will in Luke 1:38. Lk 1:28, 30 – angel: “full of grace, found favor with God Lk 1:42 – Elizabeth: “most blessed among women” Lk 1:48 – Mary: “all generations will call me blessed” Mother of God Lk 1:43 – Elizabeth calls her “mother of my Lord” = God.

Mother Mary being the Mother of God, How much more powerful will be, her intercession before God .AS she was born without original sin and she was sinless throughout her life, who bore sufferings, being Holy, assumed into Heaven Body and Soul ,in John 2:2-5 Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.”5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

Thus even thought it was not the appointed time and note many places in the Bible Jesus done everything on the appointed time as per the will of God, but Through her intercession she quickened the miracle and to everyone’s surprise and all glorified Jesus and they believed John 2:11 Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.​

Wisdom 8:1 She(Mary) reaches mightily from one end of the earth to the other,and she(Mary) orders all things well.
joyfulandactive said:
Why does Jesus say His hour has not yet come and Mary ignore His comment?
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She does not ignore,but just request and quicken ,the Blessing .
 
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