The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 1 — Section 233

1piril.1ml rechm1fftof "the rich young mnn," assume, 11s tl1ey would hnve liker] him to of "the lBwyor," and of the story of PC1ul, do, o.n. immerlinto and outwnrrl i\Te••iahship himself IL PhBrieee, when fln!llly convinced of poht,co.l revolt. He did not hreo.k the tlmt he needed a new crootion and IL epirituBl brnised reed n1Jr quench the smoking lfox, lifo I First of oil, then, we hBve the place, encl often mo.de use of the sm!lllc~t remnant gonornl period, nod epoeific time referred of spiritual apprehension • but even in Ga- to: Now when he was in JeI'llBalem-not lilee, when they wonlrl by forcp, hnve mnrle the temple, but in the houses o.nd streets, him a king," ho sent the multitudes !I Way." nod perhBpB euburbR,of JerusBlem ('hpoul7'a- The apparently arhitro.ry permission given >,.l,µo,r, tho plural form used generally in to others to proclaim his No.me (as, e.g., to tho Gospel, while 'l,pou1Ta>,..,/µ is used in the the healed demoniac of Gergesf\, Luke viii. Revelation in symbolic eensc)-at the Pass- 39; cf. ix. 57-62) suggests the precise over; 11 period generally oovcring nine or ten inquiry which John had folt from the first days of celebro.tion, extending from the first ?er_nsa.lem visit, and which, witli profounrl purifying of the houses from all leaven and ms1ght, he thus meets: "He did not trust the <lrawing of pure water on the thirteenth himself to them," owing to the faot that he Nisan, the paschal meal on the fourteenth knew-{-y,v~l7',c«v by a.pperceptive and con- Nisan, the feo.sts in the evenings of the tinuous processes)--o.ll (men) persons. He greo.t do.ye of convocation, fifteenth and penetrated their thoughts, discerned their twenty-first of the month, and the cere- character, saw the meaning nf their faith, monies of the intervening six days. In the the burden of their wishes, the regal pas- feast must refer to one or other of the great sions that consumed them-he knew a.II. do.ye of convocation, worship, and fee.sting. And also beoe.nse he had no need that any Many believed on his Name; i.e. on his should testify what we.e in (the) ma.n; for Messio.hship, rather than on himself, as he himself-without such aid-knew what theil' Prophet,Purifier, self-sacrificing Prie8t, was in (the) man. The definite articles or than on himself as Lamb of God or Son here may either restrict the meaning to the of God. They accepted on easy terms, men who happened one by one to come with o fickle and perhaps eager fanaticism, under his searching glance (eh. viL 51; the first impression produced by him when Meyer), or it may mean "man" generically, they saw the signs whioh he we.e making of "hnman nature" in all its peril, weakness, his heavenly mission and nature. We must and self-deception. Geikie (' Life of Christ,' conc!ude, therefore, that he did in many i. 508) gives o. novel, though entirely inde- ways partially unveil himself. Nicodemus fensible, translation: "He needed not that heard of these •• signs," and referred them any should bear witness respecting him as to a Divine commission. John does not man." The better and more accnnite trans- here, nor elsewhere, say what these signs lation is the first; but since his glo.nce is were-whether they consisted of effects pro- universal and contact with sonls continuone duced on nature or on men, whether they -man by man-the statement thus embraces were deeds of healing, or of moral com- even more than is involved in the generic pulsion, or repression, or reformation. Great sense. The knowledge of man (homo) expectations with reference to a comiug "!!,'enerica.lly" would not embrace his indi- Christ had been excited in the breasts of vidualities-would leave out the specialities tens of thonennde by John the Baptist's of each case. The particularism of Christ's fiery ministry. 'fhe result was that men penotrative glance gives the stronger and now flocked to Jesus in greater numbers better explanation of the reserve of Christ than they had done to him (eh.iii. 26). The in dealing with these ha.If-believers, than faith that they exercised was neither deep the generic or rather universnl knowledge nor appreciative, yet it wns worthy of the which is supposed to be involved. N.B.- name of faith. ( I) There is o. so-co.lied faith to which Vers. 24, 25.-Bnt J'eens did not (imper• Christ will not unveil himself-will not give feet) trust himself to them; not even to himself. (2) The great reward of faith fa those who had "trusted on his Na.me." Christ is the faith of Christ. (3) Faith 'fhfo remarkable expression corresponds in the Name of Christ, produced now by with many actions and methods of Jesus. "signs,'' real or artificial, fictitious or sacra- When he wo.e offered the homage of devils, mental, mystic, or miraculous, or reslhetic, he forbade them to speak. When those who by scrrtes BibliclB, or exaggerated ideas of had been simply healed of bodily disease special providence, is not comparable to the began garrulously to proclaim his praises, faith in Christ him.self, which the troth he silenced them. He had no faith in their about him excites. (-1) It is to the latter faith, and consequently did not open to rather than to the former that the goldeo t4elQ moi:e of hjs llll.ture; still less did he gates of the heart of J esue are oprne,i.  HOMILETICS. Yffs. 1-11.-Thc first mi'.racle. It took place on" the third day;" that is the thll'd dny from the place-fifty miles away-where Nathauael had met Jesus. The Lord Jrn<l then displayed his omniscience, and he now displays his omnipoteucc. I. TnE SCENE OF THE MIRACLE. "Cana of Galilee." 1. This iuis a small village about three how·s' joui-riey from Nazareth, rather insio-nificant in its history, for it i; not named in the Old Testament nor in Josephus. 2~ The miracle occwTed, not upon the liighway of the village, but in the comparative privacy of the family circle. 3. The hnuse was probao!,y occ1tpicd by persons known to Jesus, if not related to his mother Mary by ties of affinity; for Mary was there, evidently with a view to the marriauc nnd may have superintended its social arranuemcnts. 0 The directions sho gave to tli~ serrnnts sanction this view. II. THE OCCASION OF THE MIRACLE. "There was a marriage in Cana of Galilee," 1. Thc presence ef (Jhrist suggests the honour of matrimony. (1) He had no sympathy with those" forbidding to marry" (1 Tim. iv. 3). The Holy Spirit afterwards said,, "Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled" (Heb. xiii. 4). (2) Christ's presence is essential still to & happy wedding. (3) His presence does not, as Roman. Catholics say, turn marriage into & sacrament. 'l'hat requires a word of institution, of which there is no trace in this history. 2. It is allowable to rejoice on such occasions. Onr Lord sanctions by his presence both the marriage and the feast. III. THE JIECESSITY FOR THE lIIR.!.CLE. "And when the wine failed, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine." The supply of wine may have fajjed (1) either because (!f {he unexpectedly large addition to the company, caused by the arrival of Jesus and his five disciples; (2) or, because the feast ma,11 have been protracted,. according to custom, for a week; (3) or, perhaps,from the humble ci,:cumstances of the bride and bridegroom. . IV. MARY'S APPEAL To CHRIST. "They have no wine," 1. She appeals to her Son, not, perhaps, so much because the deficiency of the wine was caused by his arrival at Cana with his five disciples, but bec&USe she evidently expected him to exercise his superhuman power to meet the unexpected need. This seems evident (1) from the facts related by his disciples as to the recent events in J udrea-the Baptist's declaration, the miraculous baptism-scene, the proof of his supernatural knowledge in the case of Nathanael; (2) from the presence of disciples who had gathered round him; (3) but, above all, from her own recollection of the marvels of his birth. 2. There is nothing· in !,er appeal to her Son to justify the Boma.n Catholic argument in favour of the Virgin Mary's intercession in he.aven, because (1) it does not follow that, because the prayers of living saints are answered on earth, therefore the prayers of dead saints )vill- be, either heard or answere.d in he.aven; (2) the rebuke that our Lord auministers to his mother does not strengthen the argument in favour of the prayers of dead saints. ! V. CHRIST'S ANSWER TO HIS MOTHER'S APPEAL. "What have I to do with thee, woman?" 1. This language ,·mplies no want of respect fo-r his mother, because the term "woman" is the same which be addresses to her in his dying moments, "Woman, behold thy son ! " (eh. xix. 26). Yet this mode of address implies a change of relationship between Jesus and Mary. She was no longer "mother," but "woman." We see the trace of this change in the memorable question, "Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?" (Matt. xii 46). 2. Tlie 'language implies that the periocl Qf subjection to Joseph and Mary was now at an end, that he is now " the Sen·ant of Jehovah," that his work as the Messiah bas at last begun. 3. Eis further reply, " Mine Jwur is wt yet come," doeB not imply a refusal of htrr request, but only e. postponement of the time for working the miracle. He would hold in his own hands the supreme dis- posal of his power. • VL THE REALITY OF THE MIRACLE. The water was turned into wine. He who' can create the grape can create the wine. He who can create matter can easily chimge it from one kind to another. 'l'he reality 9f this miracle is attested: 1. By ,the evide.nce cf tl,e servants u:ho knew what the wate-r u:as. 2. By tlte evidence of t'he ruler of the feast as to what it l,ecarn,e. There was no visible action in this case interposing between the lliiracle-worker and his remarkable "sign." <JI!. II, 1-25.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING 'l'O ST. JOHN. 95