The Wedding Feast at Cana
Basic info
John 2:1–11
In John’s Gospel, Jesus’ public ministry begins at the wedding feast at Cana. At his mother's suggestion, Jesus transforms water into wine. He is at first reluctant to take any action, but his mother ignores this and simply tells the wine steward to do as Jesus instructs. For many Christians, this "blessing" of this wedding feast is understood as a sign that Marriage is a sacred relationship entered into before God. Other themes that can be drawn from the story include Mary’s interceding with Jesus on behalf of someone in need, Jesus’ obedience to his mother, the wine as symbolic of the Eucharistic wine, Jesus’ power to transform an ordinary substance into an extraordinary substance, and Jesus’ power to bring new life through miracles.
Historical Notes
The Marriage at Cana was common in Early Christian art and throughout the middle ages. Its popularity diminished for a time during the Renaissance but was revived in the latter half of the 1500s. The early emphasis tended to be on Jesus’ transforming miracle, and often he was the only figure shown. Mary was often present in medieval depictions, which grew to include the bride and groom and other guests. In the 1500s and 1600s, it was more about the wedding and less about Jesus or Mary. Artists have often incorporated elements of contemporary wedding practice in their depictions of the wedding feast at Cana: modes of dress, location, people present, and the fashions of the day.
What to Look For
In addition to the general attributes one looks for in any artwork of Bible stories, also look for:
- How the miracle is indicated: Jesus’ hand / arm over the jars, Jesus’ holding a staff over the jars, Jesus’ saying words to the wine steward / servant
- The relationship between Mary and Jesus
- The authority with which Jesus interacts with others
- The centrality or importance of the figures of Mary and Jesus in the whole scene
- Explicit references to Marriage and / or the Eucharist
- The mood of the scene
Questions to Focus a General Interpretation
Based on the relationships and other details you observe in the artwork, does this depiction of the Wedding Feast at Cana seem to be more about Jesus’ transforming miracle, Mary’s interceding with Jesus on behalf of a friend in need, a reference to Eucharist, a wedding celebration, or some combination?
Does the mood of the artwork seem to relate more to the wedding or to Jesus’ miracle?
How is the relationship between Jesus and Mary depicted? What theological belief about either of them is reflected in this depiction?
How is Marriage depicted in relation to Jesus / God?
Questions to Guide a Personal Interpretation
What about the artwork attracts you? What repels you? What might that say about what is going on in your life right now?
Does the artwork call you to reflect on your own Marriage or relationship (actual or hoped for)? Where is Jesus performing miracles for your relationship? Do you ask Mary to intercede for you when you are in need? What needs transforming in your life or relationship? Have you asked Jesus to bless your relationship?
Does your experience of church weddings provoke you to challenge some aspect of the artwork?
Would you depict the story differently? What would you emphasize?
Questions to Suggest a Historical Interpretation
Today Westerners marry mostly for love, but this is a relatively recent development. In most cultures Marriage was long understood as a social, economic, or political arrangement. What does the artwork suggest about weddings as they were understood in the artist’s day? What is the relationship between the bridal couple and God?
Does the mood of the artwork seem to be about the miracle or the wedding? What might that say about the religious commitments of the general populace in the artist’s time and place?
Does the artist make the scene contemporary to his or her own time by placing the characters in the dress and manners of his or her world? Would contemporary Christians be comfortable with a depiction of Jesus’ miracle at Cana at a 21st-century wedding reception with the gowns, tuxes, and all of the trappings? Why?
