On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” “Dear Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied, “My time has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.” John 2:1-5 NIV
The wedding at Cana includes a brief interaction between Mary and her adult son Jesus. She is aware of the embarrassing or even shameful situation facing the groom and the family. Running out of wine was a serious problem in that culture. Mary asks Jesus to help and at first he asks why she is involving him, because his time had not yet come. But then Mary speaks to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you,” John 2:5b. Mary knows Jesus is capable of salvaging the situation, and she confidently instructs the servants to do whatever Jesus says to do.
John does not record any more conversation between Mary and Jesus. But he says, “Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, ‘Fill the jars with water’; so they filled them to the brim,” John 2:6-7. For a feast like a wedding large amounts of water would be needed and used for ceremonial washing, according to the Jewish laws and traditions at the time.
Once all the jars were full, Jesus tells the servants to, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet,” John 2:8b. The servants know that they put water into the jars, yet they do exactly what Jesus told them to do. “The master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, ‘Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.’” John 2:9-10.
The servants in this story are given an incredible opportunity – to trust Jesus, to obey Jesus, and as a result they witness the entire miracle – from the beginning to its conclusion. Simple obedience: sometimes it is as simple as doing the next right thing, the next thing Jesus has asked us to do, even if it does not make sense to us at the time. What is Jesus asking you to do today? Trust him, he will provide the way to do anything he has asked you to do. Just trust and obey.
By Grace Hunter
