JESUS HAD HELP
John 2:5-10 NKJV
5 His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”
6 Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. 7 Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it. 9 When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. 10 And he said to him, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!”
This is part of the story of Jesus at the wedding in Cana. The bridegroom ran out of wine. This was considered a bad omen at a Jewish wedding, akin to running out of brisket at a Texas function. That’s a bit tongue in cheek but running out of wine was enough of a problem that Mary, the mother of Jesus, felt inclined to solicit the help of her son. Jesus did not seem as concerned as Mary, but He still stepped in to help a young couple keep from being embarrassed on their big day.
Mary had some great advice for the servants. “Whatever He says to you, do it.” Those words still ring true today, and Mary’s words were instrumental in seeing the miracle fulfilled. Jesus did not simply walk over to the water pots and turn the water into wine. Instead, He enlisted the help of the servants by asking them to fill the water pots with water. We must keep in mind that these were big pots. They held 20-30 gallons apiece. And Jesus said fill them. So the servants were tasked with drawing from a well a minimum of 120 gallons of water and quite possibly more. I imagine the servants had some doubts regarding just exactly how filling the water pots was solving the wine problem. But Mary said whatever Jesus said to do, do it, and so they did. Jesus did not draw the water; the servants helped Him.
Then Jesus instructed the servants to draw out of the water pots and take it to the master of the wedding. This would be the wedding coordinator in our day. I wonder how the servants determined who was going to do that job? Did they give it to the servant with the least experience, or did the chief servant take that responsibility? The servants used the instruments of that day, meaning a type of clay pitcher to draw up the water, so they were not using glass. They dipped the clay pitcher into the water and took it, probably with fear and trembling, to the head of the wedding. Again, we see Jesus using the servants to be a part of the miracle. We can be sure there was a collective sigh of relief when the master tasted the water that had been turned into wine. And not only wine, but good wine, better than what had been presented when the feast began. Jesus performed a miracle and used the servants to help.
APPLICATION
God seems to delight in allowing us to take part in many of His miracles. We often see the involvement of man in the workings of God. Moses was told to stretch out his staff over the Red Sea and to hit the rock. The sea parted, and the rock gushed water. God did the miraculous part, and Moses did his part. Repeatedly in the scriptures, we see God involving man in what He does in the earth. Elijah prayed, and the rain stopped. He prayed again, and the drought was over, and the heavens poured rain. Naaman the leper was told to go wash in the Jordan, and when he did, his leprosy was completely healed. A widow was instructed to borrow pots and pour the oil she had into the pots. As long as there were pots, the oil miraculously continued to pour out.
The reason I share this is because there will be times when we will need to be involved in miracles in our lives. Joy and I saw financial miracles as we did what He told us to do and planted financial seeds. I saw a job opportunity open as I followed an impression on my heart to answer an ad in the paper. On paper, I was not what they were looking for, but God gave me favor. We can’t do the miraculous, but we can do our part.
PRAYER
Lord, what would You have me do to see breakthroughs and miracles in my life? I can do the natural only. You can do the supernatural. Thank You for showing me what my part is, whether that is praying, praising, or stepping out and acting in obedience. Thank You for Your involvement in my life.