Ariel H.

Dolar
BEED-II

Commentary
Miracle of Jesus Wedding at Cana
It is very desirable when there is a marriage, to have Christ own and bless it.
Those that would have Christ with them at their marriage, must invite him by prayer,
and he will come. While in this world we sometimes find ourselves in straits, even
when we think ourselves in fullness. The way of duty is the way to mercy; and
Christ's methods must not be objected against. The beginning of Moses' miracles
was turning water into blood, Ex 7:20; the beginning of Christ's miracles was turning
water into wine; which may remind us of the difference between the law of Moses
and the gospel of Christ. He showed that he improves creature-comforts to all true
believers, and make them comforts indeed. And Christ's works are all for use. Has he
turned thy water into wine, given the knowledge and grace? it is to profit withal;
therefore draw out now, and use it. It was the best wine. Christ's works commend
themselves even to those who know not their Author. What was produced by
miracles, always was the best in its kind. Though Christ hereby allows a right use of
wine, he does not in the least do away his own caution, which is, that our hearts be
not at any time overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, Lu 21:34.
Miracle of Jesus Multiplication of the Bread

Jesus calls the disciples to Himself, not because He needs answers about
the food problem, but to test their faith. As a teacher tests his students, Christ
periodically tested His disciples (John 6:6). They often fail these tests, and
this one is no exception. None of us, however, can boast about the marks we
receive in the area of faith.

The disciples express scepticism about feeding the crowd. Their store of
food is low (Matthew 15:33). Even before Christ can ask, they say that "we"
cannot provide the bread. They do not want to be asked to do it because they
lack the means. Granted, we of ourselves have the means to do little for God,
although we are to strive to do what we can. But when assessing our ability
to serve, we must include God's power as the primary means to accomplish
anything. The disciples do not do that.
 In their view, finding that much food would be "impossible" in such a
desolate place (Mark 8:4). We sometimes convince ourselves that God cannot
work in a place because it is too hard a location. Truly, where faithlessness
exists, not much of God's work will be done. Even so, harsh or limiting
conditions cannot obstruct God's work if He orders us to work in a place. His
power overcomes all difficulties.

To the disciples, the crowd of people is enormous (Matthew 15:33), much too
large for them to feed. Even if they could provide some food, there would not
be enough. Sometimes we let the size of the crowd devalue God and become
an obstacle to our faith. At times, too, Christians go along with the majority,
and in doing so, go against their consciences, damaging their faith and
conviction. None of the disciples is willing to stand against the others in faith.

The scepticism of the disciples is quite shameful. A short time earlier, they
had witnessed Christ miraculously feed the 5,000. They had seen His power
multiply a few loaves and fish to fill the hungry crowd. Yet, confronted with
an identical problem, they throw up their hands and say that it cannot be
done.

Miracle of Jesus Resurrection of Lazarus

In this transitional story there are many connections with earlier

chapters. The motif of light found in chapters 8 and 9 continues (11:9-10),
the purpose given for the illness of the blind man is similar to that given for
Lazarus' death (9:3; 11:4), and the healing of the blind man is referred to
(11:37), as is the conflict with the Jewish authorities in chapter 10 (11:8).
We have another example of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, calling his own and
gathering his flock (11:54). There are also larger connections, for the raising
of Lazarus is the last of a series of Jesus' signs that began in chapter 2; both
the first and last of the signs in this series (2:11; 11:4) are explicitly linked
with the revelation of God's glory. All of the signs were revelations of who
Jesus is and what he offers. The final sign, the raising of Lazarus, points
most clearly to what has been at the heart of the revelation all the way
through and what was emphasized in Jesus' keynote address (5:19-30)--
that Jesus is the one who gives life. The irony, of course, is that he gives life
by giving up his own life on the cross. A further irony is that by giving life to
Lazarus, Jesus sets in motion his own death. The raising of Lazarus, then, is
the final sign before the event that actually accomplishes what all the signs
have pointed toward--the provision of life through the death of the Son of
God.
Teaching Divorce
It is ironic that there should be so much controversy over the import of
the teaching of Jesus on divorce/remarriage. In His great Sermon, Jesus
explicitly sets about to rectify contemporary ethics, which He sees as
debased by Pharisaical Scripture-twisting (Matt. 5:17ff.). He saw His job as
one of clarification, and a summary look at the state of divorce ethics in the
days of Jesus shows that clarification was indeed needed! Unless Jesus was
wrong in His profession of loyalty to the Scripture, we should expect to find
that His teachings are entirely consonant with previous revelation. (And, I
hope, with the conclusions set forth in the earlier chapters of this book.) As
for the Pharisees, if Jesus was right, the teaching of the Old Testament had
been eclipsed among them during the inter-testament period, such that
divorce was no longer understood as either an act of sinful treachery or a
discipline painfully applied with the appeal for restoration always in view. To
the Pharisees, the ending of a marriage was the husband’s right. The
Deuteronomy provision for the wife of a hard-hearted husband (protecting
her from his treacherous intentions, Deut. 24:1-4) was turned upside down
to favor the husband, and the Pharisaical schools argued back and forth over
what had to be wrong with the wife before the husband could exercise
his right to put her away. The liberal school of Hillel thought that a man had
the right to end his marriage if his wife did something he found distasteful.
The conservative school of Shammai thought the man’s right to divorce was
limited to the case of a wife who had committed something nearly equal to
adultery. Both schools were concerned for the rights of the man and had
little concern for the woman, thus reversing the concern of the Bible.