I'm actually stealing Mary K's Quiet Time hehe...she shared John 2:1-11 with me yesterday and I had some thoughts about it and decided to study it a little further and that's what I'm reading this morning.
John 2:1-11 Jesus Changes Water to Wine
This was the start of Jesus' ministry. The miracle took place in Cana in Galilee. Although Jesus was born in Bethlehem near Jersusalem, most of his ministry took place in Galilee. So the setting is that they are at a wedding that everyone was invited to, so I'm assuming they were good friends with the people getting married. The party goes on and they run out of wine. Mary summons Jesus and when he is good and ready he turns the water there into wine and the banquet continues. This was the first miracle and disciples put their faith in him.
Well, I thought more about the concept of changing water to wine and a couple things jumped out at me. I asked myself what would I rather have at my wedding-water or wine? Seems like a no-brainer! The only thing that would hinder me from choosing wine is the cost. Although the wine tastes so much better...it's so much more expensive. I can get water for free! (if I want that Fiji water I might have to shell out a buck or two..but anyways..) In terms of being a Christian I thought- there is a cost to count when becoming a Christian- for me it is persecution, heartbreak (in the world I could care less if people around me were saved, but now man, my heart just aches sometimes!), tears, pain, etc BUT being a Christian to me is just like that wine. It's so much sweeter! I wouldn't give up wine for water anyday, even if I could get it everywhere for free! I feel that way about my relationship w/ God! I don't want to settle for what the world has to offer no matter what the cost because it's worth it!
The second thing I thought about was the fact that what Jesus did for me on the cross was like changing water to wine. If I were to do a taste test of water and wine, it would be easy to distinguish the two. I could smell them and know the difference. I could see them and know the difference. I could taste them and definitely know they were different. God took me, the bland, ordinary water and turned me into wine. He took a timid, people pleassing, insecure, heart-broken me and gave me a spirit of power, love and self-discipline! And the difference is tangible. I see the difference in my life. Not only that, other people see the difference and it's not because of anything that I did, but because of the gift he gave me, which brings me to the last thing that stood out to me.
The only way that the water became wine was through the power of Jesus Christ. The water didn't sit and ferment or something. Someone didn't pour some Kool-Aid mix in the joint. It was Jesus' power that transformed it. I'm realizing that I am no different from the murderer, prostitute, or homosexual offender by nature. The only thing that seperates me is the gift of God that I have accepted. Not the fact that I repented of my sins, not the fact that I share the gospel, but the grace of God that enables me to do those things through the power of the cross. That humbles me.
Jesus turned my water into wine and he did it in his time. Today I'm thinking of all the situations in my life that are like water that I want to be wine. My Mom becoming a Christian, getting married...someday, being in the ministry.. .These are some of my dreams that can seem so unattainable sometimes, but I look at the water to wine story and think man, God CAN make those things happen, but he will do it in his time and just like the story, he could very well be saving the best for last.
Love,
Aisha
3 comments:
Wow, I didn't even think about the water turning to wine as representing the change in our lives as disciples. Nor that it could symbolize Jesus' spirit.
First off, I see Mary's faith in Jesus. She goes to him about the problem, and even after he tells her it isn't his time, she persists and tells the servants to obey whatever he says. She gets awesome mom points.
The second is how the servants just obeyed without question. I know I probably would have been skeptical of some man telling me to fill jars with water then send them to the master of the banquet. That's like giving tap water to the president when he is expecting Chardonnay or something. Stepping out and obeying in faith is really something I want to strive to do more.
Mmm.. Yeah, good stuff. It's amazing how we can see things from different perspectives, ya know?
You made an interesting point about Mary. You make a great point about the faith of Mary!
It's funny how Jesus addresses her-Dear WOMAN? Ok, my Mom would have been like -who is you talkin to playa? Anyways, I think he put her on equal ground with everyone else. Like, just because Mary was his mother didn't mean that he would perform miracles at her calling.
This passage is often used by Roman Catholics to justify the intercession of Mary. However, the response that Jesus gives her doesn't line up with that false doctrine. He doesn't exactly say yes ma'am anything for you...
That's kind of messed up, Catholic church...
Anyway, as Aisha, Mary and I were talking last night, I remembered something else about Mary that could be why she had so much faith that Jesus could handle the wine situation.
When prophecies were being spoken over him, she kept all of those things in her heart. So she knew the great things he was going to do in life, so he could definitely take care of something as small as water into wine.
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