Matthew, whose Hebrew name was Levi Ben Halfai, was a tax collector, sitting at his table on a street in Capernaum, when Yeshua (Jesus) approached him and simply said, “Follow me!” He did, and took him to his house, where he invited all of his friends to meet this kind, wise man. Some of the Elders of the Temple saw him there, and, because people were calling him Meshiakh, asked his followers, “Why is this man eating and drinking with sinners and tax collectors?”
But Yeshua heard them, and he replied, “The ones who need a doctor are the ones who are sick. I didn’t come here for the righteous, but for sinners. Go and learn what the Prophet Hosea meant when he said, ‘I will have compassion, and not animal sacrifices,’ for I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” The greatest messages of his ministry were in compassion, complete empathy, for all other Human Beings, although many of Christian posterity who proclaimed themselves holy practiced vile acts of deceit and dishonor, even murder.
There are still some sects in Christianity who don’t teach that Yeshua came to save sinners, who teach their people that he came for the righteous among them, the only ones to be accepted in G-D’s Judgement by following their rules. They obviously ignore this Gospel story, as well as Rav Sha’ul’s (Paul’s) words in his letter to Timothy, “This is a faithful saying, worthy of all acceptance, that Messiah Yeshua came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.” Why would he have come only for the righteous, who will prove worthy to be with him anyway, even people in other religions, as Yeshua said in John 12:47-48, Spoken by other WORDs?
Yeshua’s first mission was to walk west into the Galil to see his family. The town of Cana still exists in Lebanon – Isra’eli jets bombed it in June of 2006. Many alcoholics have used this story as the “drinking Man’s” excuse to drink. Some Christian scholars say this was his first public miracle, but filling his new disciples’ nets with fish back in Capernaum was no small feat. He also later talks of other miracles performed in Capernaum.
As in most countries throughout the centuries, wine was consumed with meals, most notably at the evening meal, not only because of it’s antiseptic properties, but to relax the body at the end of the day. Children apparently were given dilute portions as to age and size. Yeshua, like the Hebrew Prophets before him, taught moderation, and warned against the vice of drunkenness. From childhood, people were shown how to balance intoxication and propriety.
The wedding at Cana was like most weddings, special celebrations with dancing and loud, excited voices, happy in the joyful occasion as well as the effects of the wine. Miryam, Yeshua’s mother, was there, likely also his brothers and sisters. The travelers were invited to join the revelries, and it wasn’t long before all the wine was gone. Miryam approached her son. “They have no more wine,” she said, but he responded, “Mother, what am I do with you? My time hasn’t come.” But she went to the servants and told them, “Whatever he tells you to do, do it!”
There were six large stone jars which were used for ritual purification, and Yeshua told the servants to fill up the jars with water. They did so, and he told them to take some of the water and give it to the host of the party. The host immediately went to the bridegroom, who’d purchased the wine, and remarked, “It’s indeed strange for the better wine to be given after the first is gone, for people usually give the good wine first, so no one will notice when the inferior wine is served.”
The servants and only a few others knew that the jars had contained water, and they were amazed at the miracle this man had performed. Many more followed. Modern analysis would call him a magician, and in some ways, he was, but there was no deception, no tricks to his Divine Magic — everything was done through the Energy of Adonai Tz’va-ot, by whatever Name our Creator is called, for Messiah Yeshua was the Seventh Spirit of G-D sent to Planet Earth to live among us, as one of us (Revelation 1:4; 3:1; 4:5; 5:6). Because he lived as a Human Being, HE will know our hearts and our names, the number of hairs on our heads, in akareet hymyeem (the end of days).