João 2
Philoxenus of Mabbug
João 2:4
It is written that three days after our Lord had returned from the wilderness, He was bidden to a feast, He, and His mother, and His brethren, and His disciples. And when wine was lacking for the guests, His mother said to Jesus, "They have no wine," and she began on this occasion also to speak to Him with authority, even as a mother doth from early habit; but Jesus restrained that freedom of speech, teaching that the obligation of parental reverence had been paid by Him, and that henceforth He would not be subject unto His parents as He had been of yore. And observe what a severe rebuke He brought against that early authority thereby! "What have I to do with thee, woman?" The words are full of rebuke, and the whole speech is full of indignation, and rightly so, because by this speech He was giving an example to those who are perfect of not being governed by the law of natural parents when they have come out from the world in which their parents still live. For Mary stood in one rule of life, and Jesus stood in another, that is to say, she lived the life of the law, and He lived the life of the Spirit; and it was not well that He Who lived the life of the Spirit should be commanded by one who was still governed by the law. Mary gave the command like a woman in authority, and Jesus answered her like a free man; "They have no wine," said Mary, and these are words of authority, and like a mother she spake with a command. "What have I to do with thee, O woman?" He replied like one who was not subject unto her, and He spake as unto a strange woman who was not His mother. For He did not say, "What hast thou to do with me, My mother?", but, "What hast thou to do with Me, O woman? By grace thou hast become my mother, and through Divine dispensation I have been born of thee; and I have been subject unto thee, and I have been obedient, but not because I am bound to be so to thee naturally. My beginning was not from thee, that I should receive grace from thee, for it was for thy sake that I came into being. Thou didst not become with child with suffering, neither didst thou bring me forth with the pangs of birth; thou didst not rear Me as one who was in need of rearing that I should give unto thee the reward of the fulfilling of My wants. Everything which thou didst give to Me I have given to thee. And if thou didst carry Me in thy womb, and didst grow great with Me, and didst bring Me forth, and didst care for Me, and didst bring Me up, these things took place by the power which came from Me. And that I have been obedient and subject unto thee was not a debt which I was bound to pay thee on My own behalf, but I paid the debt and I fulfilled the law on behalf of all the children who rebel against their parents. And now that the debt hath been paid, and dispensation of the law hath been fulfilled, what have I to do with thee, O woman?" Now this speech is like unto the words, "Who is My mother?" and unto that which He said to John, "Behold thy mother!" and again He said to Mary, "Behold thy son!" — 13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 8 -- First Discourse on Poverty
João 2:7
Others, however, He healed by a command of power, without either looking up to heaven or asking His Father. For by a command of power He raised up the young man, the son of the widow; with a word He called to the daughter of the chief of the congregation and straightway she stood up; He commanded the sea and it was silent, and the wind and it was stilled; He spake only, "Fill the water pots with water and draw out and bear to the governor of the feast," and created matter delayed not [to do] His will. "I say unto thee," He spake to the dumb spirit, and immediately it departed from the man. "I will, be thou clean," He spake to the leper, and as He willed, straightway the leprosy fled from his body. — 13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 2 -- On Faith