And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.
Discussion:
As it is described in Swedenborg, all of the Lord’s true churches have started out with “good wine”: They have started with internal truth that was born out of a desire to be good. But in the course of time people in each church “drank well,” turning away from the Lord’s leading to trust in their own intelligence and logic. So at the end each church has inferior wine – sort of the shells of true ideas, but without a connection to any desire to be good.
But here we are witnessing the launch of a new church, with internal truth of such a quality that it makes the existing ideas -- the shells that were left from the faith of Israel -- seem poor by comparison.
This verse is not addressed directly in Swedenborg.
John 2:1-11
Verse 1 And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there:
Verse 2 And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage.
Verse 3 And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.
Verse 4 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.
Verse 5 His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.
Verse 6 And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.
Verse 7 Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.
Verse 8 And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it.
Verse 9 When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom,
Verse 10 And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.
Verse 11 This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.