A Man Who Knew How to Party!
Today's Gospel reading was John 2:1-11: the wedding party in Cana.
Now, I had always known the story of Jesus turning water into wine, but I had never contemplated just how much wine he provided. There were six jars, each of which held 20 to 30 gallons, that were first filled with water, then made into wine. That's roughly 750 bottles of wine! And this was at a point where the guests had already been drinking for some hours.
Rumor has it that after seeing that, the host came up to Jesus and remarked, "Jesus, I have heard mumblings that, well, many of the guests are, ahem, out of blow as well." However Jesus, reluctant to hear all of those people telling the same joke every half hour for the rest of the night, declined to perform a second miracle.
Now, I had always known the story of Jesus turning water into wine, but I had never contemplated just how much wine he provided. There were six jars, each of which held 20 to 30 gallons, that were first filled with water, then made into wine. That's roughly 750 bottles of wine! And this was at a point where the guests had already been drinking for some hours.
Rumor has it that after seeing that, the host came up to Jesus and remarked, "Jesus, I have heard mumblings that, well, many of the guests are, ahem, out of blow as well." However Jesus, reluctant to hear all of those people telling the same joke every half hour for the rest of the night, declined to perform a second miracle.
Is 20 to 30 gallons a serious figure? If so, how would you know it?
ReplyDeleteWhere's the hookers?
ReplyDeleteWine was often drunk watered down -- i.e. as wine cordial (it was much safer than the water without alcohol added).
ReplyDeleteOne might check the translation on whether if was pure wine, or enough wine to add to the water. Translators in cultures that had lost the habit of watering wine might not be alert to that nuance.
Even if diluted 2 or 3 to 1 that would still be a lot of wine.
DeleteWell yes, that is clear :)
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