Lenten Devotion: 3-9-16
Wednesday,
March 9, 2016
On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” John 2:1-5
Thoughts:
Everyone knows this story. Jesus, at the very beginning of his ministry, is invited to a wedding reception and they run out of wine. Six stone water jars stood nearby, each holding about twenty gallons of water for ceremonial washing. Jesus turned 120 gallons of water into wine. If my conversion is correct that would be about 455 liter bottles of wine. Now that’s a party.
But I think Jesus is up to more than setting folks up for a time of revelry. What if He is saying, (1) trust that I have the situation well in hand; (2) look around and use what you have; (3) always seek to share your best; and (4) with me and within my Kingdom there is the promise of abundance.
What would our lives look like if we trusted these principles? What would change if we believed Jesus had all things in hand, even when the wine is about to run out? What would change if we believed what we have, within our grasp, is enough to make the situation right? And how would our behavior change if our goal was to share only our best, or that abundance is a given? I wonder. What do you think would be different? May we trust in this Jesus, who turns things around and provides more than we can ask, think, or imagine.