Marriage at Cana
The Wedding at Cana is a story from the Bible, which tells how Jesus transformed to a wedding celebration water into wine. It is in this story, which is found only in the Gospel of John in the New Testament (John 2:1-12 EU ) to the first -mentioned character in this Gospel of Jesus.
Action
During the wedding ceremony for unidentified couple, on which also Jesus is present with his disciples and his mother, Maria, is from the revelers of wine. Jesus' mother asks him to help, but he rejects her gruffly. Only then he gives the servants the order to the water jugs that are intended for the ritual cleaning to fill with water. As the chef tasting it, he exclaims in surprise the groom and asks him why he - has lifted the good wine until recently, but where the guests have had too much to notice the quality yet - contrary to all normal practice.
The wine miracle but was already six centuries earlier celebrated in the mysteries of Dionysus, in the city of Elis on the island of Andros. The Christian church later moved from a surprising consequence: they celebrated the memory of the wine miracle at Cana on January 6, the Epiphany day, just to the date on which also the wine miracle of Dionysus is said to have occurred.
Interpretation
The Miracle of Cana fall out at first glance from the other characters and deeds of Jesus raises a number of questions:
- From Jesus expect listeners and readers that he helps people in distress with healing miracles. Why is the evangelist him before his readers with such a sign in which it is not about help in a serious emergency that could easily be misunderstood as a magic trick for the fulfillment of luxury expectations instead?
- What is the point to have it, that Jesus for a private party such a profusion of wine - the absurd amount of about 520 liters - creates?
- What his mother's needless rebuff when he but a short time later to help anyway commemorates?
The wine symbolizes the Bible the feast and the joy of life (Ps 104:15 EU). He can feel the glory of creation, people. He is part of the ritual of the Sabbath, Passover and the wedding and is also an essential part of the eschatological Freudenmahls (Isaiah 25.6 EU).
This sign is primarily used to demonstrate the only recently been appointed disciples of Jesus' authority, at the same time but also to show that with Jesus the eschatological joy time has come, in the mourning, fasting and renunciation not appropriate are (Mt 9,15 EU ). The overabundance of wine can be understood as a reference to the abundant life that God has intended for the people (John 10:10 b EU).
It is noticeable that the original Greek the term " semeion ", " sign", preferably, not by " thauma ", " miracle", is talking about. Therefore, it is an original called " semeia source " adopted by many researchers, from which the Evangelist has taken these characters. The evangelists, it was important that these characters themselves do not cause the faith. Again and again, a distinction is made in the Gospel of John between "seeing " and " faith " where faith is the Desirable even without seeing and without sign ( Jn 6,30 EU, Jn 6,36 EU, EU Jn 20:29 ).
The commonly called wine miracle is attached, moreover, as an example, that the Bible does not demand alcohol waiver.
The biblical Cana
Where the biblical Cana was, is not entirely clear. Usually it is located in Galilee, see Kana ( Galilee ). Sometimes the southern Lebanese village of Qana is identified with the biblical Cana.