Six stone jars

Questions

What does God really want for our life? How does God want to be involved in our lives? What are Holy times when God is there and what kind of things is God interested in.

Buddy's questions 

The death of Brian

Is God interested in our daughter’s prom, the loss of a friend, our son’s wedding, our retirement plan, the house payment or our 401k?  From times of reflection to times of shock whatever brings them on they are the same basic questions. What does God want? How is God involved? What kinds of things are God things? In a short little passage about a wedding some 2000 years ago we find an answer to some of these questions that we still have today.

John includes this event because it is important to know about to understand Jesus. Without this passage we might miss a part of who Jesus is. In many ways this one event reveals so much of what Jesus is going to do from this point forward. After calling His disciples this is the first thing that Jesus does and if we look closely it reveals Gods’ heart.

 

1

Why Involve Me

Weddings are great fun! The rabbi has given solemn charges to the couple, standing under the canopy. The couple exchange vows, then the wine glass is crushed and the guest all shout mazel tov. The music, food and dancing start amid shouts of joy. But not long into the party Mary comes over to Jesus and leads him out the front door. “This poor couple, the wine has run out.”

Consider the conversation that Jesus has with his mother. Mary points out that this couple has no more wine, Jesus replies “Woman why are you involving me in this”, and then she instructs the servants to do whatever Jesus says and walks off. Some people see Jesus as cold, “woman, why do you involve me?” Yet Mary only talks to the servants fully expecting Jesus to act on her request and He does. It appears to be a casual interaction between a mother and son. So we are going to focus on the second part of the sentence, “Why are you involving me”

What does Mary know? How does she know it? It must come from something other than the angels announcing Jesus’ birth. Mary brings the situation to Jesus because she knows He can do something to take care of it. She may not know how but she knows He can and will. She does not plead or have any other discussion with Jesus, Mary expects Jesus to act.

We do not know how Mary knows she can do this. Has Jesus done a few miracles at home? Healed a sick friend or made bread appear from the air? We only know that Mary believes that bringing the lack of wine to Jesus’ attention will bring a response.

In 2000 packers rookie KGB had come for his first time to Lambeau field. Someone was to show him around and was late so Kabeer just started walking around the place. Eventually he wandered into a very large office looked around and thought this looks nice. Bob Harlan looked up and said “Can I help you” Kabeer explained he was supposed to get a tour of the stadium. Bob Harlan got up and said lets go. KGB is still amazed that a big important man as Bob Harlan would take the time to show a rookie around the stadium.

How often do we think that God is to important to take the time for our little worries, our pleasures, our lives. The loss of a friend, the flowers in our garden, our aging parent or our knee that aces when it rains, are these things to concern Jesus with? Mary seems to think so.

What we see is that Mary has a knowledge of Jesus’ character and abilities, and appeals to them in this situation. She knows she can ask Jesus to get involved. Jesus will extend this same invitation to us, to ask Him for whatever we need.  “Ask and it will given to you; seek and you will find” Matthew 7:7 “If two or more of you agree about anything you ask for, it will be done” Matthew 18:19 “I will do whatever you ask   in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.  You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” John 14: 13&14 It is clear then that Jesus ask each of us to come to Him directly.

What we first learn from this is that we can involve Jesus in the events of our lives, because He has promised to act. As we look back at our lives and our interaction with Jesus we will see that we can expect Him to do something when we ask. It may not be what we expect but we can expect something. We can ask in faith that Jesus hears our prayers and acts on them.

 

Jesus ask Mary “why do you involve me in this?” This is a real question for this miracle is not on the Messiah list. This is about a wedding and a poor couple’s ability to provide wine for the guest. We understand Jesus healing a lame man or feeding 5000 hungry people but is wine for a party. When Jesus finishes this miracle He will have made 180 gallons of wine for a party where people have already been drinking. Take away the sandal keys!

The life of Jesus is filled with things that tells us about what is important to Him. A servant that is close to death, a sick daughter, blind beggars, little children, all unimportant to the world but not to Jesus. While the world says don’t bother God with your little life, Jesus orders a halt and looks at you and ask, “What can I do for you?”

Jesus does this miracle because it brings joy to the wedding couple and guest. Jesus does not just want to be included in churchy or religious things, Jesus wants to be a part of our whole life. Jesus wants to be part of the birthday party, the wedding reception, the funeral, and the graduations. Jesus wants to be at our picnics and games around the table.

“For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 

The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and “sinners.” Matthew 11:18 Jesus apparently loved to laugh and be with the loud crowd as well as in the temple.

 

This does not mean that Jesus approved of people being drunks or telling dirty jokes. What this does tell us is that Jesus wants us to experience Joy, laughter and fun. There is no part of our life that Jesus wants to be left out of. We need to get Jesus involved.

 

We need to get Jesus involved in the broken marriages around us. We need to get Jesus involved in the lives of alcoholics and drug users. We need to get Jesus involved in the life of an abused person. Get Jesus involved because we know His character is to care and to take action. We may not know what Jesus will do but we do know He will do something. Whatever it is He can fix this. It does not have to be “religious” for Jesus to care. Mary asked and trusted and so can we.