On the Wedding at Cana:
1. There is no identification of the wedding couple.
2. If the marriage was for a near relative of Jesus’
(sister perhaps) it would account for Mary’s concern over the shortage of wine
and also why she sought Jesus’ help. The family honor was at stake. It was
unthinkable that a family be so inhospitable as to be short of wine at
marriage. (Robert J. Matthew, The Miracles of Jesus [Provo, Utah:
Brigham Young University Press, 1968], 22)
3. This is generally considered as Jesus’ first miracle
(John 2:11), but may be simply his first in Galilee at the beginning of his
ministry. (Ibid.)
Commenting on the healing of
the two Gadarene demoniacs (Matt 8:28-34/Mark 5:1-20/Luke 8:26-37):
The actual meaning of the word “deep” (Luke 8:31) rather
than having reference to the sea, may mean “empty,” as if the devils said: “Do not cast out into the empty—or out of the body into nothing.” Apparently, being
deprived of a body of flesh of their own, they prefer an animal’s body to no
body. (Exegesis on the Greek original of “deep” by Dr. Hugh Nibley, in Sunday
School class.) (Robert J. Matthew, The Miracles of Jesus [Provo, Utah:
Brigham Young University Press, 1968], 41)
The healing in Matt 9:32-34:
The dumbness was probably caused by the evil spirit,
rather than by an organic defect of the man’s speaking apparatus. This may
account for the fact that Jesus did not touch or anoint the afflicted man’s
mouth. (Robert J. Matthew, The Miracles of Jesus [Provo, Utah: Brigham
Young University Press, 1968], 47)
