When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.”
John 2:3
Back in November I taught a lesson on prayer at a women’s retreat. I called it “pray in this way”. The lesson was centered around the Lord’s prayer and many of His other teachings concerning our prayer life. The Lord has taught me much about prayer in the past several years.
I am currently working through a precept study on the book of John. As I was reading through this beautiful book and was closely observing the first two chapters in John, I stopped at the first recorded sign of the Son of Man, the turning of the water into wine.
There is currently much debate in the American church about wine/drinking and being a Christian, but I am not writing about that today… whether or not it is okay to partake of the vine is not what struck me as I read about this wedding in Cana of Galilee.
First of all what struck me was the fact that here is the Lord of lords and the King of kings, the One who within three years is going to die for the sin of the world, the One who is God incarnate, the Word made flesh… and here He is at a wedding with His mother and His disciples. He has a world to save, yet here He is not preaching to anyone, just celebrating the beginning of a man and woman being joined together and becoming one flesh…
For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.
Genesis 2:24
I love the connection of the book of John with the book of Genesis… Genesis begins with “In the beginning” and so does John… Genesis 2 has a wedding and well so does John 2… but that’s another side trip… I am not writing about that today either.
So here’s the context of our story. Jesus is at a wedding in Cana of Galilee. He is there with his mother and his disciples. Perhaps it is one of his brothers or sisters that is getting married today, perhaps it’s a cousin or close family friend… maybe Mary the mother of Jesus was one of the original wedding planners, either which way they were there as part of the backstage, behind the scenes, crew with the authority to command the servants.
Mary observes a problem. They have no wine.
Now the first question in our modern day Baptist ideology most likely is, so what’s the big deal?
Why was wine so important at a wedding?
Absolutely beautiful isn’t it!
Ah, but I am not here to write about the beauty of becoming one flesh, crushed and poured out for the glory of our God today…
So Mary has observed a problem.
When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to Him,
“They have no wine.”
And Jesus said to her,
“Woman, what does that have to do with us?
My hour has not yet come.”
John 2:3-4
How many times have you observed a problem? How many times has your eyes been opened to the realization that their is a need in someone’s life… or even your own life?
It doesn’t have to be a life threatening need, as we can see all through out the book of John, Jesus cares about every aspect of our life. He weeps with us when a loved one dies and He rejoices with us when two people become one in marriage. He cares whether we have food to eat or something to drink. He notices our weaknesses and sees our heart. He sees us sitting under the fig tree and he knows when we have worked all night and caught nothing. He wants to give us life in every sense of the word.
Here’s the question, when you recognize a problem… how do you pray?
I had noticed that many times, when I had recognized a problem, in my prayer concerning the problem, I had already decided the answer and was praying that God would fix it according to my instructions… as if I already knew all the possible solutions.
Mary does not do that.
She simply states the problem. They have no wine.
I have always loved Jesus answer to her statement… “Woman, what does that have to do with us? My hour has not yet come.” Mary’s response to the words of her Son, THE SON, is simply to turn and tell the others, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” (John 2:5)
I often wonder what all Mary knew of her Son. Now remember, she has lived with Him and loved Him and cared for Him for 30 years. She knew Him intimately. Therefore she had no doubts that when she shared with Him, He heard her. She had learned that His thoughts were not her thoughts and His ways were not her ways (Isaiah 55:8-9). She was not going to put any limitations on His ability to address the problem and she was not the least bit doubtful that He cared.
She just knew that whatever He said, needed to be obeyed.
Here’s the problem – Whatever He says to you, do it.
Many times I have had others come to me with a problem, with a concern, and ask me for guidance and prayer… and many times as I have showed them what the Word of God says to do, I have watched their eyes go from tears, to almost completely glassed over…
When I see this I know that they have no intentions of doing what has just been advised.
They have asked for prayer and guidance and then when through the Word of God an answer has been given… if it’s not what they wanted to hear… or it would require a major change… or a return to the problem… they shut down with zero intention of doing whatever it was the Word of God said to do.
My challenge to you beloved is to come before our Lord in prayer as Mary came to Him here at this wedding in Cana of Galilee…
My Jesus, here’s the problem. I can’t fix it. I don’t know how to fix it, but I know that You do and I know that You can. I also know that You care about even the little things in my life and the life of those I love… and they need Your help. So whatever You say to do, I will do it.