Episode:Jesus Goes Public—Precursor and Prelude (Part 13)
Of all persons present at the marriage feast of Cana, Jesus was the most surprised. Others had expected him to work a wonder, but that was just what he had purposed not to do. Mary and the six apostles were greatly rejoiced at the supposed miracle which they thought Jesus had intentionally performed, but Jesus was sorely perplexed and retired for a season to the housetop that he might think it all over.
Keywords: Urantia, Jesus, Ambitious Mother, Wedding at Cana, Gallons of Wine
Opening thought: O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will proclaim your praise. For you take no delight in sacrifice; if I were to make a burnt offering, you would refuse to accept it. My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a contrite and humble heart, O God, you will not spurn. [Psalm 51]
Closing thought: A lot to consider in this episode. Consider retiring to the housetop for a season to think it all over.
Summary by Kermit
Commentary after Review
What does the life of a genuine religionist look like? How often do we unquestioningly accept the opinions and utterances of apparently religious men and women as authoritative? The following discussion explored the importance of being able to differentiate between God’s standards—divine ideals—and humanistic, godless ideals. Divine ideals undergird and overarch all worthwhile civilization, and without them no civilization can endure. Fortunately, the 5th ER is a treasure trove of both forgotten wisdom-insights from the past and new destiny-horizons for the future to which increasingly spiritualized mankind can refer for guidance in the struggle for such an enduring civilization. Doubt not the 5th ER is part of the divine conspiracy guiding us Godward as individuals and collectively.
137:3 The Visit to Capernaum
Jesus and his family, as well as the newly chosen apostles were invited to attend the wedding of a prominent young woman of Cana. Jesus sent the six on to Cana while he went to Capernaum for a hurried visit to mother Mary. The six were not reticent to share with Jesus’ family their recent experiences and their belief in Jesus as the expected deliverer. James and Jude were firm believers in Jesus’ mission yet perplexed as to details. Joseph was less believing but swayed by the encouragement of his mother, brothers, and new associates of Jesus that perhaps his “strange brother” is the coming king.
Mary’s entire demeanor and expression betrayed her immature, purely subjective orientation concerning the nature and destiny of her son. She was simply unable to transcend her preconceived opinions and cherished ideas that Jesus was the Messiah expected by the Jews. And now she fully indulged in elaborate fantasies of her son inaugurating his Messianic reign in great power and sublime grandeur. To all of his family’s inquiries Jesus reiterated his unwavering purpose: in all things to do the will of his Father who is in heaven.
Note was made of Jesus’ “who is in heaven” coda, suggesting his effort to remind his hearers that his Father is in the inner life. SoS conjectured his continued use of this qualifying phrase came to imply a self-reminder in the face of forces, pressures, and entreaties to give outer life circumstances undue influence in his thinking.
In spite of Jesus’ warnings to tell no man about him until the Father’s hour shall come, the family insisted on spreading abroad the news that they had found the Deliverer. Mary was well-nigh ecstatic in anticipation of the fulfillment her long-cherished notions of her son as the Messiah. Jesus was carefree and happy like he had not been since he was a lad. We noted the description of him being “touchingly sympathetic.” We see this as a foreshadowing of his state of mind and heart which is so instrumental in that which is about to transpire at the wedding.
We remain most curious as to the significance of the midwayer authors disclosure of the names of the wedding couple.
137:4 The Wedding at Cana
The table is surely set for Jesus to “come out” as the Messiah at the wedding celebration. The entire countryside is charged with the collective expectations that Jesus’ is going manifest himself as “the supernatural one” with some stupendous display of power.
We were struck by the description of Jesus being increasingly conscious, as the day wore on, that people were expecting something wondrous—something supernatural of him in announcing his forthcoming kingdom. Remember, Jesus may be perfectly poised in the consciousness of his human existence, his divine pre-existence and the status of his fused human and divine nature, but he is still experientially naïve, hence the purpose of his bestowal career to provide him with the experience and associated tribulation required for the acquirement of wisdom.
Mary and James made bold to inquire directly of Jesus when he planned to come out during the wedding festivities. He was not pleased and rebuked them. It required an hour’s solitude for Jesus to regain his lighthearted disposition. Jesus subsequently assembled his apostles and in great earnestness attempted to disabuse them of their expectations of any supernatural inauguration of his new kingdom.
But as the story goes, the wine runs out and Mary presumes to promise the mother of the groom that Jesus will surely help them, whereupon she seeks out Jesus, and tearfully entreats him to do something. His sympathy and pity for his mother aroused, he comforted her, but his human heart was overcome with compassion. Asserting again his supreme purpose to do the will of his Father, he concedes that if it were a part of the Father’s will he would gladly do what she asks.
Jesus realized at this moment that he had desirefully thought too much! Wine was instantly forthcoming. Listen to the archive for our discussion of the physics involved in Jesus’ spiritualization of sympathy to compassion resulting in the elaboration of wine, much to Jesus’ surprise.
After brief moments of reflection Jesus decided that under the circumstances the appearance of wine was unavoidable and beyond his personal control and not contrary to the Father’s will. He did now fully comprehend that he must be constantly on guard concerning his indulgence of sympathy and pity lest similar episodes of this sort occur in the future. Even so, many similar happenings attended the Master’s public ministry ere he took final leave of his life in the flesh.
Notes by Brad
- Even the most mundane issue is a part of God's universe.
- It isn't like you're trying to detect divine ideas of God to regulate every decision in your life.
- You want God's divine ideals.
- The ideals you've chosen, no matter how unwittingly, frame your entire life.
- And these ideals point you either toward eternity or oblivion.
- Righteousness must be actively chosen. It does not just fall on you by happenstance.
