Mary's Request

By: Kenneth Russ, MD Introduction: The faithful look upon the Holy Scriptures as God’s word. We make sense of God’s teachings as we live our lives and encounter God’s creations. The Old Testament God was thought of in terms of Hell, fire and brimstone, the New Testament one of forgiveness. Stories of the Bible were in a pastoral setting compared to the world of today. We talk about “the rock of ages and the ages of rocks” and we do so not in a way to diminish the truth and beauty of Scriptures but to recognize the figurative rather than the literal interpretation of the Bible. For this reason and due to the plague of Addiction I have retold the story of the wedding feast of Cana in terms that a modern audience might see its beauty and apply it to their lives and importantly not to use the original story to justify a truly evil behavior. Lastly, I am sure others have told the same story In their own way. This story is not meant to be blasphemous but to retell a biblical story with a relevant message. As they neared Cana they heard angry voices in the distance. Jesus, the carpenter had just entered his thirtieth year and accompanied his mother to a wedding uniting two rival families. The future of the town depended on this marriage and it seemed that that hope was in jeopardy An hour before all was sweetness and light but after consumption of 6 of 12 large stone jars of wine was the mood of the crowd took a turn to the negative. An air of mutual hostility began to envelop the wedding guests. Upon their arrival, Mary took Jesus aside. Son, these wedding guests are so intoxicated on the 6 Jars of wine that they risk ruining this couples wedding and the well-being of their community. Jesus responded woman my time in public life has not yet begun . Nonetheless as Mary joined the others Jesus commanded the chief steward to gather up the remaining jars of wine and then he blessed them. The steward was then invited to taste what was in them and exclaimed, Master, by changing this wine into water you have saved this newly wed couples marriage from shame and the town from harm. After the wedding Jesus and his mother left for Judaea where his public life would begin.