Annotation CLXXXV

”The wine failing, she says [to him], They have no wine.” — John 2:3

Whether Mary always had a becoming opinion of Christ.

Chrysostom, in the twentieth homily on John, seems to assert that the Virgin Mary did not always have a becoming opinion of Christ’s divinity, and that on that account she, at the wedding in Cana of Galilee, out of a certain human affection of empty glory, unseasonably asked a miracle of [her] Son. For thus we read in him: “It is worth inquiring in this place whence it came into the mother’s mind to conjecture something great about [her] Son: for he had as yet done no sign. For this he did [as] the beginning of signs. [His divinity] had already begun to be manifested, both by John’s testimony, and from those [things] which he had foretold to the disciples; and, before all these, the nativity itself, and the [things] which had happened at that time, had stirred up the greatest opinion about the boy. For she heard, he says, all [things], and kept [them] in her heart. Therefore, when she had heard that John had come to bear testimony about him, and now saw the disciples, she began to dare [to hope]. And, the wine failing, she says, ‘They have no wine’ — for she desired both now to win the favor of men, and that she herself might be made more illustrious by the [display of the] Son’s grace. And perhaps she was affected by some human feeling — just as also his brethren, when they said,¹ ‘Show thyself to the world,’ being desirous of gaining fame for themselves by his miracles. On that account he answered rather harshly, ‘What is it to me and to thee, woman? My hour is not yet come.’ For that he reverenced [his] mother,² Luke attests — [in saying] that he was subject to [his] parents; and this Evangelist [attests] how great care he had for [his] mother at the time of the Passion. For where the parents would in no way hinder the divine mysteries, [and] would give no offense, it is fair and necessary for the Son to obey, nor can he refuse without great peril. But on the contrary, when they ask something unseasonably, and hinder [his] spiritual discourse, it is not safe to comply with them — on that account here too he answers thus. And elsewhere again, he said, ‘Who is my mother, and [who are] my brethren?’ For they did not yet have a due opinion of him, but, after the manner of mothers, Mary judged that she might by right command all [things] to [her] Son — whereas it was fitting to worship and reverence [him] as Lord; therefore he answered in this manner. Consider how unseemly it was — the whole people standing by, and hanging [in suspense] to hear him and his doctrine — [for] her, coming forward into the midst, to hinder the public benefit, and to hold discourse about private matters, and to call [him] away from such an assembly.” The same thou hast above, Annotation 58 of this book.

Theophylact writes here the same as Chrysostom. Euthymius likewise the same.