John Chrysostom, On John

changing the water, and turning the rain through the root into wine, that which in the plant happens over a long time, this he did instantly at the wedding. And when they had filled the water-jars, he says: Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast. And they took it. But when the master of the feast tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it was from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast calls the bridegroom, and says to him: Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when they have drunk freely, then that which is worse. You have kept the good wine until now. Again here some mock, saying: The gathering was of people so drunk, and the sense of those judging was corrupted, and not capable of perceiving what was happening, nor of judging the things being done, so as not even to know whether it was water or wine that had been made; for that they were drunk, the master of the feast himself showed by what he said. This is utterly ridiculous; but nevertheless the evangelist cut off this suspicion of theirs. For he does not say it was the guests who were judging what had happened, but the master of the feast who was sober and had not yet tasted anything. 59.136 For surely you all know this, that most of all those who are entrusted with the service of such feasts, these are especially the ones who are sober, having one task, to arrange all things in order and with propriety. For this reason he called this sober sense as a witness to the events. For he did not say, Pour wine for those reclining, but, Take it to the master of the feast. But when the master of the feast tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it was from (but the servants knew), the master of the feast calls the bridegroom. And for what reason did he not call the servants? For thus the miracle would have been revealed. Because Jesus himself was not revealing the event, but wished the power of the signs to be made known quietly and little by little. If, then, it had been investigated at that time, the servants would not have been believed when narrating these things; but they would have seemed to be mad, testifying to such things about a man who at that time seemed to the many to be a mere man. For they themselves knew the truth through experience; for they were not about to disbelieve their own hands; but they were not capable of persuading others. For this reason he himself did not reveal it to all, but to the one most able to understand what had happened, reserving the clearer knowledge of it for a future time. For after the demonstration of the other signs, this too would be believed. When, for example, he later heals the son of the royal official, through what he says there, the evangelist shows that this also had become clearer. For this is the main reason that man called him, since he had recognized the sign, as I said. And indicating this, John said: Jesus came to Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine; and not just wine, but the best wine. 3. For such are the miracles of Christ, they become far more beautiful and better than those accomplished by nature. Thus also in other cases, when he corrected a lame part of the body, he showed it to be better than healthy ones. That it was wine, then, and the best wine, that had been made, not only the servants, but also the bridegroom and the master of the feast were to testify; but that it had been made by Christ, those who drew the water. So that even if the miracle was not revealed then, yet it could not be kept silent forever; thus he laid up for it many necessary testimonies for the future. For as witnesses that he made the water wine, he had the servants; and that the wine was good, the master of the feast and the bridegroom. It is likely, then, that the bridegroom answered something to this, and said; but the evangelist, hurrying on to the more necessary matters, having only touched upon this sign, passed over the rest. For the necessary thing was to learn that he made the water wine, and good wine; but what the bridegroom said to the master of the feast, he did not consider it necessary to add. For many of the signs, being rather obscure at first, as time went on, clearer

τὸ ὕδωρ μεταβάλλων, καὶ τὸν ὑετὸν διὰ τῆς ῥίζης εἰς οἶνον τρέπων, ὅπερ ἐν τῷ φυτῷ διὰ πολλοῦ χρόνου γίνεται, τοῦτο ἀθρόον ἐν τῷ γάμῳ εἰργάσατο. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἐγέμισαν τὰς ὑδρίας, φησίν· Ἀντλήσατε νῦν, καὶ φέρετε τῷ ἀρχιτρικλίνῳ. Καὶ ἤνεγκαν. Ὡς δὲ ἐγεύσατο ὁ ἀρχιτρίκλινος τὸ ὕδωρ οἶνον γεγενημένον, καὶ οὐκ ᾔδει πόθεν ἐστὶν (οἱ δὲ διάκονοι ᾔδεισαν οἱ ἠντληκότες τὸ ὕδωρ), φωνεῖ τὸν νυμφίον ὁ ἀρχιτρίκλινος, καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ· Πᾶς ἄνθρωπος πρῶτον τὸν καλὸν οἶνον τίθησι, καὶ ὅταν μεθυσθῶσι, τότε τὸν ἐλάσσω. Σὺ τετήρηκας τὸν καλὸν οἶνον ἕως ἄρτι. Πάλιν ἐνταῦθά τινες ἐπισκώπτουσι λέγοντες· Οὕτω μεθυόντων ἀνθρώπων ὁ σύλλογος ἦν, καὶ ἡ αἴσθησις τῶν κρινόντων διεφθαρμένη, καὶ οὐχ ἱκανὴ ἀντιλαβέσθαι τῶν γινομένων, οὐδὲ κρῖναι τοῖς πραττομένοις, ὡς μηδὲ εἰδέναι πότερον ὕδωρ ἢ οἶνος τὸ γινόμενον ἦν· ὅτι γὰρ ἐμέθυον, αὐτὸς ὁ ἀρχιτρίκλινος ἔδειξε δι' ὧν εἶπεν. Μάλιστα μὲν καὶ τοῦτο γελοῖον· πλὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ ταύτην αὐτῶν ἐξέκοψε τὴν ὑποψίαν ὁ εὐαγγελιστής. Οὐ γὰρ τοὺς δαιτυμόνας εἶναί φησι τοὺς ψηφιζομένους περὶ τοῦ γενομένου, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἀρχιτρίκλινον τὸν νήφοντα καὶ οὐδενὸς οὐδέπω γεγευμένον. 59.136 Ἴστε γὰρ δήπου τοῦτο πάντες, ὅτι μάλιστα πάντων οἱ τὴν διακονίαν τῶν τοιούτων ἐμπεπιστευμένοι δείπνων, οὗτοι μάλιστά εἰσιν οἱ νήφοντες, ἓν ἔργον ἔχοντες, τὸ ἐν κόσμῳ καὶ ἐν τάξει πάντα διατιθέναι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο τὴν νήφουσαν αἴσθησιν ταύτην εἰς μαρτυρίαν τῶν γινομένων ἐκάλεσεν. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν, Οἰνοχοήσατε τοῖς ἀνακειμένοις, ἀλλὰ, Φέρετε τῷ ἀρχιτρικλίνῳ. Ὡς δὲ ἐγεύσατο ὁ ἀρχιτρίκλινος τὸ ὕδωρ οἶνον γεγενημένον, καὶ οὐκ ᾔδει πόθεν ἐστὶν (οἱ δὲ διάκονοι ᾔδεισαν), φωνεῖ τὸν νυμφίον ὁ ἀρχιτρίκλινος. Καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν μὴ τοὺς διακόνους ἐφώνησεν; οὕτω γὰρ ἂν καὶ τὸ θαῦμα ἐξεκαλύφθη. Ὅτι οὐδὲ αὐτὸς ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐξεκάλυπτε τὸ γεγονὸς, ἀλλ' ἠρέμα καὶ κατὰ μικρὸν ἐβούλετο γνωρισθῆναι τῶν σημείων τὴν δύναμιν. Εἰ μὲν οὖν τότε ἠλέγχθη, οὐκ ἂν διηγούμενοι οἱ διάκονοι ταῦτα ἂν ἐπιστεύθησαν· ἀλλ' ἔδοξαν ἂν μαίνεσθαι, ἀνθρώπῳ ψιλῷ τοῖς πολλοῖς εἶναι δοκοῦντι τότε τοιαῦτα μαρτυροῦντες. Αὐτοὶ μὲν γὰρ καὶ διὰ τῆς πείρας τὸ σαφὲς ἔγνωσαν· οὐ γὰρ δὴ ταῖς ἑαυτῶν χερσὶν ἔμελλον ἀπιστεῖν· ἑτέρους δὲ πιστοῦσθαι οὐκ ἦσαν ἱκανοί. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὐδὲ αὐτὸς ἐξεκάλυψεν ἅπασιν, ἀλλὰ τῷ μάλιστα συνιδεῖν τὸ γεγονὸς δυναμένῳ, τὴν σαφεστέραν αὐτοῦ γνῶσιν τῷ μέλλοντι χρόνῳ τηρῶν. Μετὰ γὰρ τὴν τῶν λοιπῶν σημείων ἐπίδειξιν, καὶ τοῦτο ἔμελλεν εἶναι πιστόν. Ὅτε γοῦν τοῦ βασιλικοῦ τὸν υἱὸν ὕστερον θεραπεύει, δι' ὧν ἐκεῖ λέγει, δείκνυσιν ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς ὅτι καὶ τοῦτο σαφέστερον γέγονε. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο μάλιστα αὐτὸν ἐκάλεσεν ἐκεῖνος, ἐπειδὴ τὸ σημεῖον ἐγνωκὼς ἦν, ὥσπερ ἔφην. Ὃ καὶ δηλῶν Ἰωάννης ἔλεγεν· Ἦλθεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἰςτὴν Κανᾶ τῆς Γαλιλαίας, ὅπου ἐποίησε τὸ ὕδωρ οἶνον· οὐχ ἁπλῶς δὲ οἶνον, ἀλλ' οἶνον κάλλιστον. γʹ. Τοιαῦτα γὰρ τοῦ Χριστοῦ τὰ θαύματα, πολλῷ τῶν διὰ φύσεως τελουμένων ὡραιότερα γίνεται καὶ βελτίω. Οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἄλλων, ὅτε μέλος διώρθου σώματος χωλεῦον, τῶν ὑγιαινόντων ἐδείκνυ τοῦτο ἄμεινον. Ὅτι μὲν οὖν οἶνος, καὶ οἶνος κάλλιστος ἦν ὁ γεγενημένος, οὐχ οἱ διάκονοι μόνοι, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ νυμφίος καὶ ὁ ἀρχιτρίκλινος μαρτυρεῖν ἔμελλον· ὅτι δὲ ὑπὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ γεγενημένος, οἱ τὸ ὕδωρ ἀντλήσαντες. Ὥστε εἰ καὶ μὴ τότε ἐξεκαλύφθη τὸ θαῦμα, ἀλλ' ὅμως εἰς τέλος σιγηθῆναι οὐκ εἶχεν· οὕτω πολλὰς καὶ ἀναγκαίας αὐτῷ πρὸς τὸ μέλλον προαπέθετο μαρτυρίας. Τοῦ μὲν γὰρ τὸ ὕδωρ οἶνον ποιῆσαι τοὺς διακόνους μάρτυρας εἶχε· τοῦ δὲ καλὸν γενέσθαι τὸν οἶνον, τὸν ἀρχιτρίκλινον καὶ τὸν νυμφίον. Εἰκὸς μὲν οὖν τὸν νυμφίον ἀποκρίνασθαί τι πρὸς ταῦτα, καὶ εἰπεῖν· πλὴν ἀλλ' ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς ἐπειγόμενος πρὸς τὰ ἀναγκαιότερα τῶν πραγμάτων, ἁψάμενος τοῦ σημείου τούτου μόνον, παρέδραμε τὰ λοιπά. Τὸ γὰρ ἀναγκαῖον ἦν μαθεῖν, ὅτι οἶνον τὸ ὕδωρ ἐποίησε, καὶ οἶνον καλόν· τί δὲ πρὸς τὸν ἀρχιτρίκλινον εἶπεν ὁ νυμφίος, οὐκ ἔτι ἀναγκαῖον ἐνόμισεν εἶναι προσθεῖναι. Πολλὰ γὰρ τῶν σημείων πρότερον ὄντα ἀμυδρότερα, τοῦ χρόνου προϊόντος σαφέστερα