Articles - Bulletin
A Word About Mothers
A well-known story to probably all bible students caught my eye the other day in a new light. The story I ran across is found in John 2 in regards to Jesus’s miracle at the wedding in Cana. It shouldn’t amaze me but it still does when I find stories like these that I know I’ve read many times over and somehow missed such great lessons.
Jesus was at a wedding in Cana that his mother was also attending when Mary approaches Jesus and says “They have no wine.” Jesus responds to her saying “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
It’s then that Jesus instructed the servants to take the stone water pots that were being used for the Jewish rites of purification and fill them with water and then serve it to the master of the feast. Upon tasting this water now wine the master of the feast calls the bridegroom to him and says “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.”
There is so much that we could note from this short account in the beginning of Jesus’s ministry. For instance why did Mary tell Jesus about them having no wine? Why did he respond to her saying “Woman” instead of mother? Why use the stone jars that were no doubt half filled with dirty water as they were the vessels used for everyone to wash their hands with before partaking in the feast? Why was it important that the pots were filled to the brim? What is the significance of the master’s response about serving the best wine last rather than the traditional custom?
I believe there are great answers, important answers for all of those questions but today is a day that we honor our mothers and the godly role they fulfill in the home and in our lives today. There are a few things I think are noteworthy of Jesus’s mother in this text that helps us appreciate them even more.
Mothers Are in Tune with the Needs of Others, Especially Her Family: I don’t know that we can know for certain if Mary was related to someone in the wedding party or just a close friend. Many suppose that because of her attendance and also concern that one of the above is accurate. Not knowing for sure I can just see Mary behaving like many of our mothers do today at gatherings and occasions such as this. They always seem to be in tune with the needs of everyone and making sure those needs are met. We men are just looking at the food thinking “wow this is going to be great” while mothers are looking at the feast thinking “will there be enough? Is there enough ice, plates, cups, utensils, etc.” It’s one of those areas that we as men lack in but an area that our wives and mothers are beautifully fitted for and tuned into. Many an occasion would fail, if not even come to pass, if it weren’t for our mothers.
Mothers Treasure Things In Their Hearts: Was Mary just venting to Jesus or was she implying to Him that He should intervene? While I can’t know for sure I do know that as a mother she’s been treasuring things in her heart that have been said and told about Jesus (Luke 2:19, 2:51). On one hand it’s a blessing. Mothers have a natural ability of knowing what’s going on with her children, when somethings wrong, they’re struggling, or when great opportunities come about. Ways of encouraging and building up her children. On the other it can also be a burden that we overlook. Out of all the things that Mary treasured in her heart it also included things like Simeon telling her a sword would pierce through her own soul also. Mothers courageously and sometimes quietly carry heavy loads in regards to their children.
Mothers Believe In Their Children: If there is ever someone who always has confidence in you almost to a fault it’s your mother right? I don’t think Mary knew what or how Jesus would remedy this problem but she believed that He could and would. She didn’t try to even tell him what to do but rather just told the servants to do whatever He told them to do. I don’t think that Mothers actually believe that we’re perfect because we’ve proven it too many times over but they still, despite that, make us feel like we’re more than we often think of ourselves, that we can achieve anything because they believe we that we can.
Thanks be to God for fashioning our mothers in a way that reflects Him and makes such an impact on our lives today.
--E
