The wedding in Cana - symbols for today and forever

​- Sermon 8 -
Second Sunday After Epiphany. The Wedding in Cana
 
t. John II, 1-11: "And the tird day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? Mine hour is not yet come. His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. And there were set there six water-pots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. Jesus saith unto them, Fill the water-pots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, and saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now. This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him."
 
This chapter of John begins with the wedding at Cana in Galilee, where I performed the first miracle by transforming water into wine.
With this event, which took place at the beginning of My teaching years (although I had not yet begun to teach publicly), I wanted - particularly through the combination of circumstances at this wedding - to draw the attention of many toward Myself, because within a short time My way of living in obscurity was to come to an end.
The marriage ceremony is, of course, a frequently performed act and, although it holds much spiritual meaning, most people regard it as completely material and celebrate it in that manner. Had this been only such a wedding, one would not have found Me there. However, I had much greater things in view which had to be achieved through not too conspicuous events. The Jews' attention was to be gradually drawn to My forthcoming teaching and activities.
As concerns this act and all of the following, their spiritual repetition in these present days must be understood in a greater and deeper sense, because now also the periods of time will be greater than during My short years of teaching and sojourn upon your dark earth. Then I had been given only a short time to achieve great things of eternal duration. Now, when the future perfection of mankind's spiritual education is at stake, the stream of events is flowing more slowly, but all the mightier, - overcoming all the obstacles, which might arise against My plans until My final Advent.

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