Jesus the Wino

 

A jotting of Cana from Giotto

1 There was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.

2 Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding.

3 When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.”

4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.”

5 His mother said to the servers, “Do whatever he tells you.”

6 Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings, each holding twenty to thirty gallons.

7 Jesus told the them, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled them to the brim.

8 Then he told them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.” So they took it.

9 And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine, without knowing where it came from although the servers who had drawn the water knew, the headwaiter called the bridegroom

10 and said to him, “Everyone serves good wine first, and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one; but you have kept the good wine until now.”

11 Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs at Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him.

-- John 2: 1-11

Last Sunday’s gospel reading is a familiar story, but some of the details are often ignored.

First of all, it puts definite limits on the commandment to “honour your father and your mother.” Asked by his own mother to do something, Jesus refuses, and says she has no authority over him.

So much for supposing this commandment implies some duty of adult obedience.

It has to do rather with social welfare: one has a duty to provide for one’s parents, respectfully and not grudgingly, in their old age, when they cannot look after themselves. Assuming, of course, they had looked after you in youth. Before modern social security, this was a moral imperative.

But the story also kicks the slats out from under those Christians who suppose that drinking alcohol is a sin. Not only does Jesus make wine as his first miracle: according to the story, he expressly makes enough for those at the wedding to get blind drunk. At the point at which the attendees had drunk all the wine available, and, according to the headwaiter, enough that they would not be able to tell the difference between good and bad wine, Jesus makes 120-180 gallons more. He as much as assures that everyone present gets drunk, with the approval as well of his sinless mother.

A point is being made ad sharpened here: that at a time for legitimate celebration, at a festival time, drunken abandon is proper. 

This does not endorse alcoholism or habitual drunkenness—that is condemned elsewhere. It matters a great deal when and why you get drunk. For everything, there is a season.

But Christians may celebrate.