In John 2: 1-11, Jesus was attending a wedding just like you and I do. Although weddings are expensive today, they were even more so in Jesus’ day. The feast would last for many days and the guests who were invited ate and drank their fill. You can imagine how important keeping the tables full would have been to a groom.
One of the reasons for such an extravagant feast was to pay back those who had provided a wonderful wedding feast for you to attend in the past. When the wine ran out it was a cultural faux pas (embarrassing blunder), and could have caused the bridegroom much shame. Jesus understood this aspect of His culture and so when His mother came to Him, He did not hesitate to help.
It is significant Jesus’ first miracle happened at a wedding. All of the miracles Jesus did throughout His ministry were focused on helping other people. He healed people, He multiplied bread and fish so they could eat, and He raised people from the dead. Although turning water into wine may not seem as incredible as making a blind person see, it is still a very important miracle. Jesus showed He wasn’t just interested in the big or spectacular, but also the small and seemingly commonplace.
When Jesus went to the wedding feast in Cana, He had not yet begun His ministry. When His mother came to Him, He told her this very thing. However, that did not stop Him from performing a miracle. Jesus took everyday objects—jars and water—at a common event—a wedding—and made them extraordinary. Jesus wants to do this in every person’s life. When we slow down and take time to look at our lives it is easy to see God coming alongside of us transforming the common, everyday events into extraordinary life changing experiences.
Sometimes we will not see incredible miracles in our lifetime. We may not know someone who is healed. But God is still at work. He is at work in the ordinary things of our lives. When we choose to live our lives for Him, we will see His hand in our lives wherever we look. We have to make the choice, though. You can’t just hope the blessings of God will come no matter what you do; you have to live for Jesus. When you do, He will work a miracle in you!
Reflection:
- Where do you need to see the hand of Jesus turning the ordinary things of your life into extraordinary things?
- Have you been looking for “out of this world” miracles, missing the little ways God wants to bless you?
- Will you choose today to live your life for Jesus so He can work a miracle in you? (CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE)