This, the very first of Jesus' miracles is, in my opinion, one of the most touching of His miracles, it shows the depth of love that exists between mother and child. Isn't it interesting that the first recorded response to Jesus’ ministry was at the request of His mother. Also, at the end of His life His last response of His ministry was towards His mother, to ensure that she would be cared for after He left this world. “Mother behold thy son, Son behold thy mother.”
(John 19. 26-27)
Getting back to the Wedding Feast, to which Jesus, His Mother and disciples had been invited. It must have been at least half way through the festivities (seeing the guests were on the merry side) when Mary said to Jesus “They've run out of wine” she didn't ask for a miracle, she just stated a fact, she was concerned for the couple and their parents.
Perhaps she thought her son could get a couple of His disciples to hop down to the nearest bottle store and get some, Jesus' response was classic (paraphrased) It's not my problem, “My time has not yet come” but, Mary knew her boy. I wonder how many times previously had she told her Son of someone’s need and He went off and ran an errand or fixed a chair or table for one of their neighbours after all, he was a carpenter's son!
Mary knew she could do nothing about this situation, but she also knew somebody who could, she had been told 30 years earlier that her son was the Son of The Most High God, so the small matter of a lack of wine could be left to Him, she knew He would deal with it one way or another. Perhaps there's a lesson here for us, give the problem to Jesus, without telling him how, why and when to deal with it. She simply told the servants to do whatever He told them to do, and left it at that.
There are many times in scripture when God intervened simply because someone prayed. I recall the time when Joshua prayed, God had the sun stand still for 20 minutes, also when the Israelites grumbled against God because they had no water to drink, Moses prayed and God sent water from a rock there are in fact, several other instances in Scripture where we read of battles, famines and Prophets praying for people etc. when God turned the tide.
Here too when Mary spoke to her son (and that is what prayer is, just speaking to God) she had the faith and confidence to know He would act. So when we pray with faith and confidence we too can expect God to act for us. Perhaps not always in the way we anticipate, but we can be sure He will answer, sometimes through a change of conditions or circumstances and other times just changing our desires or attitudes, there's nothing wrong with His ability, hearing or memory. He knows what we want and need even before we ask Him.
So why do we have to ask Him? (Answer) firstly, we are admitting we are in a situation we cannot handle, but we know and trust the only one who can. (Secondly), so that we know and understand what we are asking for and are prepared to not only accept His answer regardless of what it might be, but will accept how and when He decides to answer it. In other words, we are handing the whole problem over to Him to deal with as He thinks fit (much like a surgeon in an Operating Theatre). - That means we take our hands off just as Mary did. We don’t tell Him how to do it, why He should do it, or when, or even if He should do it. He is God and although He likes us to ask, He is not our servant, nor will He be treated like some sort of a gene in a magic lamp. We must always keep God on His throne while we stay at His feet.
We haven't been told exactly when this miracle took place, but we know it did. The servants were told by Jesus, to fill the jars with water, then to take the first cup and give it to the master or MC of the feast, the servants knew it was wine when it was poured out of the Jar probably because of the colour and the aroma, but when the master tasted it He went to the bridegroom and said “Where did you get this wine? Why didn't you give it to the guests first? they are all half drunk now, and wont appreciate it.”
God can only give of His best, He is perfect in all His ways He takes an impossible situation and makes it a wonderful happening, and sometimes only a few people will see it, I am convinced if we really believe God for what we are asking and humbly make our requests known to Him, He will respond to our prayers, I also believe we are better to go in to the situation with a couple of people of good strong faith than a room full of ‘Doubting Thomas' (As in the case of Jarus’ daughter, Jesus only took two of His disciples and the girl’s parents into the room). In this case only the servants, the MC and the bridegroom. They were the only ones who were sober enough to see and recognise the hand of God working among them.
The lesson for us here is - If we truly want to witness the miraculous, we must: remain humble, alert and keep up our faith while anticipating God’s best (which is not necessarily what we may think) because regardless of our own opinion, that’s what we will get. Then, praise and thank God for allowing us to be present.
This was the first of the Lord's public miracles while He was here on earth. I believe we need to dig a bit deeper and delve into what Jesus said and did while He was with us in human form. We also need to know about the circumstances, culture, and customs of the day. I think there is a great deal under the surface of all the miracles and parables performed by our Lord. But, we are so used to reading and hearing the great stories, we often neglect or miss many good lessons and truths which God is trying to get through to us.
This is my mission in writing this “When God Speaks” series, to bring it into the language, understanding and idioms of our day, so that When God Speaks, we can appreciate, learn and believe.
Thank you for reading “Water into Wine” this, the first recorded miracle in Jesus’ earthly Ministry I hope it has brought us all a little closer to Him.
God bless
Phaline.
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