There could have been several reasons for the lack of wine at a wedding where Mary, Jesus , and several newly selected disciples attended. It was her mother’s heart that noticed the shortfall. Perhaps the couple did not have sufficient funds to cover the entire seven to fourteen days of the celebration. The discussion between Mary and Jesus reveal much to us today.
The angel, the miraculous birth of John the Baptist by her elderly cousin, the long journey to Bethlehem, and when the Son of God stepped against mankind’s need by his birth were always part of her thinking. Scripture says that she pondered them in her heart. She was not a worker of miracles nor was she an intercessor for men’s lacking. Mary saw the need and turned to Jesus fully confident in him.
She merely said, “They have no wine.” Our inclination would be for them to apologize to the guests and proceed. That could not be in those days. This was a serious matter. So, it is for us when we pray. But the question to ask ourselves is how serious to we take the requests we present to God in our prayers. We may voice a need and not have it come from the depth of our souls. This is what separates reading a want list verses engaging in divine solutions.
Mary got to the heart of the matter that she took to Jesus. There were no flowery words or speculations. I can visualize her walking across the room to whisper in his ear. We know she made no public spectacle of the circumstance. She did not seek anyone else’s advice. Her confidence in Jesus compelled her to seek his help. Her words were in behalf of someone else, too. She intervened where the need appeared. No need to discuss the matter with the new husband or the governor of the wedding. All the other people were only people without solutions.
She did not offer empty words of consolation to the couple that she would talk to Jesus in their behalf. Hers was not to sympathize or even to empathize. She knew her Son had the ability to solve the problem and went directly to him. The significance of the miracle was that it was all about Jesus. All about his power, his love, his concern.
When Jesus first replied to her, Jesus said the word “woman” which was the same he used in talking to her from the cross. In no way did he mean to minimize her as a person but uplifted her as a special individual that deserved his attention. He said his time had not yet come. Jesus did not come to the wedding with a plan to work a miracle. Here is an example when our true petitions can alter God’s initiatives. There would be no harm to his ministry in working a miracle. He knew this and changed his mind so that a human need was addressed just because someone asked him to do it.
Mary had so much trust in Jesus that she instructed the servants to be instrumental in the miracle, not her, the servants. Imagine how they were dumbfounded when they filled the jars with water and wine came out. Surely, they were confounded. If it would have been me, I would have had a mixture of amazement and fear. Jesus sought no attention. Mary sought no attention. When we are used by God, the miracle is what he does and not what glory we think we deserve. What a blessing it is to be used by God. Makes a person wonder how he could be used by God in the future, doesn’t it?
Christian Writer 