The wedding celebration had lasted for days—a joyful festival where everyone was in high spirits, sharing laughter and wine. The place was so crowded that it was difficult to move. Amidst the bustle, my dear friend approached me.
"Mary, thank you so much for all your help. I don't know what I would have done without you."
"There's no need to thank me. We've been friends for so long."
"That's true. But you’re a lifelong friend—precious to me."
My friend had married and gone to live in Sepphoris, where her husband was from. After Herod’s death, she was fortunate to survive when Judah ben Hezekiah attacked the fortress there. Following that narrow escape, she and her husband, unsettled by the violence and danger, decided to move to nearby Cana. Had they stayed, they would have faced further peril when the Syrian governor Barus attacked soon after—truly, it was by God’s grace that they escaped. When Joseph and I returned to Nazareth with our young son, I was overjoyed to hear my friend was safe. Although we couldn’t contact each other easily until the rebellion was over, it was comforting to know we lived under the same sky. After peace returned, we would occasionally ask after each other, and my friend became very fond of my son.
"Mary, when is Jesus arriving?"
"I received a message a few days ago that he would come with some others, so perhaps today."
"How many?"
"Why not? Wouldn’t it be fine if many come?"
"It’s fine—the more, the merrier. We’d love to have them celebrate with us. I miss him so much."
"Me too. I miss my son."
I smiled, thinking of my son’s face.
"By the way, why hasn’t your son married yet? I know he had to take care of the family after his father passed, but now that his younger brothers are grown, why is he delaying marriage? Unless he plans to join the Essenes and live alone?"
Hearing her words, I remembered the time Joseph passed away.
My husband used to travel with our son to nearby towns, working as a carpenter. Those were turbulent times—rebellions breaking out everywhere after the Roman Empire’s second census, battles and destruction all around. There was always work, but it was dangerous. Still, Joseph would say, "What’s there to worry about? Our son is with me."
Joseph cherished spending time with our son more than anything. The day he finished teaching him all his skills, Joseph was overjoyed, as if he had gained the whole world. Later, as the children grew older, he and our son would often work in different places. Then, that fateful day arrived.
Joseph was working in another city, separated from our son, when he lost his life after being struck by a falling stone during dangerous construction work. The memory of that day was painful for our family, but my son comforted us, saying we would meet again in heaven. The younger children, however, were upset, wondering how he could say such things so easily; after that, they became a little distant from him.
Afterward, as the eldest, my son took on even more responsibility, traveling far and wide to provide for us. He sacrificed sleep to ensure his siblings could grow up safely. With Joseph’s death, my son’s role as head of the household began—for him, his father’s departure from this world was also the beginning of his calling. Now, that same son has left home, not as the head of the family, but to begin his true mission—and he is returning to us.
“Do you remember how my son reacted when you brought up marriage?”
“Oh, that? He was just joking, wasn’t he?”
“No, he was serious.”
“Oh my, that’s absurd…”
I couldn’t help but laugh at my friend’s reaction. At the time, even I found it a little absurd. When she asked, “When are you ever going to get married?” he replied:
"My bride is Jerusalem, and all the people who believe in God’s word."
I still remember the look of confusion on her face.
"Why doesn’t Jesus marry? He’s not especially handsome, but he’s diligent, has a good heart, and speaks well. Everyone who’s talked with him since he was young has loved him. If I had a daughter, I would have married her to Jesus."
"But you don’t have a daughter."
"That’s true. Since I don’t, I can say whatever I want, haha."
My friend always makes me laugh. Being with her puts me at ease.
“Mary, your son must mean he’s devoted to Jerusalem and the nation. But still, if you get the chance, you should find him a good wife.”
Perhaps everyone would interpret my son’s words that way—as a mission to dedicate himself to Judea and its people. But I know what he truly means. My son Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah sent to this world. He is the bridegroom prepared by God for Jerusalem.
God has long compared Jerusalem to a bride.
"‘I remember for you the kindness of your youth, the love of your weddings; how you went after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown. Israel was holiness to Yahweh, the first fruits of his increase. All who devour him shall be held guilty. Evil shall come on them,’ saysYahweh."
"Don’t be afraid; for you will not be ashamed. Don’t be confounded; for you will not be disappointed. For you will forget the shame of your youth; and the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more. For your Maker is your husband; Yahweh of Armies is his name. The Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer. He will be called the God of thewhole earth."
"You shall no more be termed ‘Forsaken;’ neither shall your land any more be termed ‘Desolate:’ but you shall be called ‘Hephzibah,’ and your land ‘Beulah;’ for Yahweh delights in you, and your land shall be married. For as a young man marries a virgin, so your sons will marry you. As a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so your God will rejoiceover you."
"It will be inthat day, says Yahweh, "that you will call me ‘my husband,’ and no longer call me ‘my master;’"
As the prophets Jeremiah, Isaiah, and Hosea have spoken, my son is preparing himself as the bridegroom for Jerusalem and for the whole world. His baptism by John the Baptist was part of this preparation—an essential step in beginning his messianic ministry.
"Your son has really been through a lot. After your husband passed, he took on all the responsibilities, just like the head of the household. Now his siblings are grown, but back then, he was the only one who could provide."
"Yes, he carried a heavy burden for us."
"Your son is truly remarkable. If I had a daughter, I’d have married her to him…"
"There you go again—joking about marrying off a daughter you don’t even have."
We both burst into laughter. After a while, my friend suddenly pointed into the distance.
"Mary, isn’t that Jesus over there?"
I squinted towards the road. There he was, walking with five others.
"Yes, that’s him. He’s finally here."
"We should send someone to invite them so they don’t hesitate to come in. Hey, go tell those people to hurry and join us."
A servant immediately ran off to deliver the message.
* * *
The people my son brought with him were all from Galilee. Most were from Bethsaida, on the far side of the Sea of Galilee, and one was Nathanael, who was from Cana. I hadn’t met him before, but that wasn’t surprising. Cana isn’t a small town, so it’s natural not to know everyone. Unlike Nazareth, where everyone knows each other, Cana is large and full of strangers.
As I chatted with my son’s friends, Jesus quietly enjoyed the celebration, as he always did—never drawing attention to himself. Suddenly, my friend hurried over and whispered:
"Mary!"
"Yes?"
"What should we do? The wine has run out."
"What? Already?"
"Yes, I think too many people came. We’re running low on everything."
"Just wait… I’ll figure something out."
"What? How are you going to get wine out of nowhere?"
"Don’t worry. Go check if there’s anything else we’re almost out of."
"Okay."
After she left, I went to my son. Though Jesus had never performed a miracle before, he’d often said he would begin something after his baptism. He hadn’t said what, but I didn’t need to ask. The words the angel spoke to me and Joseph over thirty years ago were enough. I was sure my son would resolve this.
"They have no wine."
"Woman, what does that have to do with you and me? My hour has not yet come."
Contrary to my confidence, my son seemed to refuse. On top of that, he used that distant word he’d recently begun to use: "Woman." Of course, it was a term of respect, but it still felt strange to hear it from my own son. At first, I tried to correct him, but he never changed. Perhaps he wanted to keep some distance before beginning his ministry. Still, it stung a little. Long ago, Simeon had said that this child would be a sign spoken against, and that a sword would pierce my soul; perhaps this was part of that. In any case, I couldn’t give up just because my son refused. If nothing else, I was always good at getting people to act.
I turned to the servants nearby and said,
"Do whatever he tells you."
The servants, unsure why, stood before Jesus. Are you really going to do nothing, my son? He looked at me, but there was nothing he could do. Since I’d promised to solve the problem, he had to act. Shaking his head, as if resigned, he stood up and walked over to where six stone water jars used for purification stood. Everyone nearby watched.
"Fill the jars with water."
The servants filled them to the brim. Each held two or three metretes—more than expected. When they finished, Jesus spoke again.
"Now draw some out, and take it to the ruler of the feast."
The servants hesitated, not understanding why they should take water used for purification to the ruler of the feast, but they obeyed. Everyone followed, curious. The ruler tasted the water and looked astonished.
"Call the bridegroom here."
He said this to the bridegroom, who was brought over by the servants. His tone was both praise and surprise.
"Everyone serves the good wine first, and when the guests have drunk freely, then that which is worse. You have kept the good wine until now!"
The bridegroom didn’t understand, but Mary, the five disciples, and the servants were left speechless—witnesses to an unbelievable miracle.
Jesus performed this first sign at Cana in Galilee, revealing his glory, and his disciples believed in him. Afterward, he went down to Capernaum with his mother, brothers, and disciples, and stayed there for a few days. There, he prepared for the coming trial in the wilderness.
The passage from Jeremiah 2:1-3, Isaiah 54:4-5, 62:4-5, Hosea 2:16, John 2:3-10 quoted in this narrative is taken directly from the World English Bible (WEB) translation.
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