Listen to Your Mother

Good Morning. I am glad that we can be here together this morning. If you can’t tell by the title of the sermon today we are going to spend a moment to talk about mothers. Now I know its not Mother’s day and yes we can talk about Mothers on days other than Mother’s Day.

Mom’s are great. They can be a source of so much comfort and nurturing. There is something about a hug from a Mother that just helps the day be better. Yet....Are our Mother’s alway right? Do they every mess up?

Nah! there is no way they would mess anything up Mom’s know everything and are perfect in everything they do.

Imagine than what it was like to be Jesus’ Mother.

Who would end up being more right Jesus or Mary?

Someone has to be wrong in the situation when there was a disagreement.

Did Jesus eveyr have to give in to his mother and say yes mom you are right, I was wrong? Mother is always right after all.

This morning I wanted to look at a story about Jesus and his mother and it is a fun one.

Turn with me to John Chapter 2 and we will be looking at the first 12 verses.

John 2:1–12 NIV

1 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” 4 “Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim. 8 Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so, 9 and 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 10 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.” 11 What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him. 12 After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days.

The story of Jesus first Miracle is always one that can lead to some intersting conversations. While I was getting ready for this sermon I cam across another telling of the story that I just had to share to help us put it into context of what really happened.

I mean after all we all know the Bible just is out to make Jesus look Good. Let me share with you a young boy named Gregory’s version of Jesus first miracle.

Gregory’s Bible Stories

Every week Gregory goes to Sunday School and  every week he comes home and tells about what he learned.

This week Gregory learned about the first miracle that Jesus performed.

In biblical days, people were hard to get rid of.  If you invited people over for dinner (which in those days was called a feast) they would stay way too long and totally wear out their welcome.

One day Jesus and the disciples were invited to a wedding and Mary, his mother, was invited too.  (Either Joseph’s name wasn’t on the invitation or he couldn’t get the time off.)

Anyway, after the wedding everybody went over to the bridegroom’s house for some hardy feasting.  There was wine and food and music and fun and wine.

And just like today, if the wine runs out before the party is over, somebody has to do something about it.  That’s exactly what happened.

Just as Mary was going to refill her wine goblet, she overheard one of the servants  talking about how the guests were complete lushes who had drunk everything in the house including the water in the fish bowl.

“I will tell Jesus,” Mary assured the servants.

Mary wove her way through the revelers and found Jesus who was just about to belt out a rousing rendition of Amazing Grace on the Karaoke machine (hand cranked).

“They have no more wine.”  Mary announced unceremoniously.

To which Jesus replied, “Why are you telling me?” (Jesus tended to get a tiny bit sassy with his mom whenever she interrupted his Karaoke fun.)

Now Mary knew that Jesus would do something to help the people with their drinking problem (of not having anymore wine).   She ran back to the servants and said, “Whatever He tells you to do, do it.”

Once Jesus was finished singing (he was the original crooner, it was such a pity I left my heart in San Francisco hadn’t been invented yet), he looked around and saw six water pots and told the servants to fill all six jars with water which they did.

“Now,” Jesus said, “dip wine from the jar and carry it to the man who is in charge of the feast.”

Which they also did and by the time the man put the water to his lips, it had turned into the best wine the man had ever gotten drunk on!

So he called the bridegroom over and said,”Everyone else serves the best wine first, and after the guests have drunk a lot he serves the ordinary wine.  But you have kept the best wine until now.”

The man who was taking care of the feast did not know that Jesus had turned water into wine. The bridegroom did not know either.  The bridegroom just assumed that the servants had found the stash of expensive wine he had taken great pains to hide before everybody arrived.

But the servants knew and Mary knew that Jesus had performed his very first miracle.  Jesus had turned water into wine, not bum wine either, but really, really, really good wine. Mary couldn’t have been prouder!

Forget Jesus

Now before I get run out of the church for saying something blasphemous remember we need humor in our lives at times. This story for Gregory was clearly more about who Mary is and not about who Jesus is.

Have we ever thought about this story that way though?

What Was Mary thinking? Why would she ask Jesus to do these things?

How dare Jesus talk to his mother the way he did.

He should listen to his Mother after all right. He needs to not be worried about singing Karaoke and not just helping his mother.

Alright alright enough silliness let’s actual look closely at this story and what is happening here.

Jesus and Mary

I am sure Jesus and Mary had an interesting relationship. We need to know that by this point of the story it is commonly thought that Joseph had passed and Mary was a widow. Jesus was no longer known as the son of a Carpenter he was the Carpenter. Mary was dependent on Jesus as the First born to help provide and support her.

So unlike Gregory’s story no Joseph didn’t miss out on the wedding, Mary was alone in that aspect.

At the Wedding Jesus and the Disciples were most likely invited because this was a family member and it is highly probable that Mary had some role in the wedding since she was so concerned about the status of the wine.

One of the challenges we have with understanding this story today is the different views of weddings from back then compared to today.

Today our weddings are a singular day event. They are contained in just a couple hours and we also traditionally put the cost on the Bride’s family.

In Jesus time weddings were a multi day event. They could last up to a week. It was also the responsibility of the groom and his family to pay for the wedding.

The culture of the day was also a culture where shame is a significant thing. Mary wanted to avoid that shame for her family. She went to her son, her firstborn and wanted him to help. It makes you realize how much Mary really did look to Jesus and there had to be an element of knowing who she was. Of course we could easily look at this passage and look at the response of Jesus and think of man look how Jesus talked to his mother.

John 2:4 NIV

4 “Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”

Woman today is not exactly a friendly way of saying this. He isn’t being rude it would be understood it is more of a matter of respect and honor. Think of the Word Ma’am. It is a respect thing. Jesus knew though that this was important to his mother but he also knew that the time was coming that his responsibility to his Mother was going to become second to the ministry of his Father.

The Hour has not yet come for the glory and the reason for Christ to come. This would only find its fullest form in the cross. Yet, while that time had not yet come was it the right time to reveal himself and who he is and all the changes that would come in this very moment?

I can only imagine it had to be difficult for Jesus to know that he was at a cross roads and before him was a choice that he knew would change not only his life but the lives of other people.

Water to Wine

Much of what many people get focused on with this miracle is the fact that Jesus turned water into wine. Especially in traditions like ours where Alcohol consumption is frowned upon. In fact, I know a few preachers who joke that they avoid this passage because then we have to talk about Alcohol and that gets a little awkward. We need to clarify and remind that the wine in those days was very different than what we drink today. Yet, I don’t want us to get to deep or worried about that.

The truth is there are all kinds of interesting details about how Jesus did this and what he did but at the end of the day is that really what this miracle is about.

Jesus turned water to wine. It was the best wine.

It is a reminder that the best things come from Jesus. This small moment of a miracle that we see started the ministry of Jesus was an ask from his Mother. Out of love and respect and to help some family to avoid some Shame Jesus blessed them with something as trivial as wine. He gave them the best wine so that they could enjoy their wedding. He didn’t do this in a flashy or dramatic way. He did it subtly to not take away the attention of what was happening. The Wine blessed them and his mother.

Jesus wants good things for us. He is the blessing himself. This miracle reminds us of that. Some people will choose to see this authority and power and they will recognize it.

The Servants saw his miracle and they knew that he had done something great, but they didn’t fully understand. The Disciples saw what Jesus had done and they grew in their faith and believed in him more and recognized his glory.

It is this glory that we look to when we read and study miracles like this. It is a reminder that He does so much for us and that we can’t even begin to imagine.

Let’s be thankful for that today.

Let’s Pray.