Mary seemed to be the hostess at the marriage party, the one in charge, the one responsible for the entertainment of the guests. It was she who recognized the need for more wine, who sought to replenish the supply, who directed the servants to follow whatever instructions Jesus gave. Considering the customs of the day, it is a virtual certainty that one of Mary's children was being married.....Jesus also had a close personal interest in and connection with the marriage and the subsequent festivities which attended it. He and apparently at least five of his disciples (John, Andrew, Peter, Philip, and Nathaneal) were "called" to attend. Since the short age of wine occurred near the close of the festivities, and since these commonly lasted from seven to fourteen days, it is apparent that Jesus' party was remaining for the entire celebration. Seemingly, also, he had some personal responsibility for entertaining the guests and felt an obligation to supply them with added refreshments.
or a Jewish
feast wine was essential and hospitality in the East is a sacred duty. For the
provisions to fail at a wedding would be a terrible humiliation for the bride
and bridegroom. So Mary came to tell Jesus that it was so. The Authorized
Version of the translation of Jesus's reply makes it sound discourteous. It
makes him say: "Woman, what have I to do with thee?" That is indeed a
translation of the words but it does not in any way provide the tone of those
words. The phrase, "What have I to do with thee?" was a common conversational
phrase. This phrase is also the question, "Who am I? addressed from God to Woman universally. To us the word 'Woman' sounds to us as a very rough and abrupt way to address one's mother. However, it is the same word as Jesus used on the cross to address Mary as he left her in the care of John. (John 19:26) In Homer it is the title by which Odysseus addresses Penelope, his well loved wife. It is also the title by which Augustus, the Roman Emperor, addressed Cleopatra, the famous Egyptian Queen. In all cases this title represents the divine feminine; one religiously, one mythically, and one to a queen revered as a goddess by her royal birth
The most important belief we possess is true knowledge of who God is