Jesus told the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” When the jars had been filled, he said, “Now dip some out, and take it to the master of ceremonies.” So the servants followed his instructions. (John 2:7-8)

Daily Bible Reading: Exodus 22:16 – 24:18

Relate: It is one thing for Mary to tell the servants to do whatever Jesus commands. She raised the boy. She knew Him. It is another thing entirely for the servants to follow with unquestioning obedience. It is possible they knew a bit about Him but even if they did, it probably wasn’t much. Some scholars have said that Mary was familiar with or even good friends of the wedding couple. That is why Jesus was invited and that is why she was aware of the situation apparently before most of the guests. I am more among those who believe that it was Nathanael who was the wedding invitee and Jesus and company were coming along with him. Nathanael was from Cana and weddings in that time and culture were a pretty open affair. The “plus” could go further than one without attracting any real notice. It is also possible that both sets of scholars are right. Cana is a small town only a few miles away from Nazareth, the small town where Jesus was raised. There certainly would have been plenty of interaction between the two villages.

Even if those servants knew Jesus fairly well, I think that knowledge would have made them less likely to cause them to obey unquestioningly. He is a carpenter’s son. He’s got to be in his late twenty’s or early thirties and he has just recently moved out of mom’s place. Yes, he is a bit of a do-gooder, but that doesn’t qualify him as a fix-it man for a wedding catastrophe. Besides, we need wine and here he is telling us to refill these jars. Everyone has been washed and nobody new will be coming to a wedding this late. Even if more people were coming, that would only make the problem worse. We are running out of supplies as it is. Now he wants us to take that water we just put in here and give it to the wedding planner as if it were more wine? Is this guy nuts? No matter what they might have been thinking, they did it anyways and a miracle happened.

React: On the one hand, God’s provision was only dependent on the power of God at work. God does what He wants as He wants to and nothing can impede Him from acting when He chooses to. On the other hand, the miracle of God was dependent on the servants obedience. If they did not fill those jars there would have been no wine. If they did not then present that water to the master of ceremonies there would have been no wine. God can act whenever He wants however He wants but for some reason He chooses nearly every time to work through His servants. How willing am I to be His servant? Have there been times where God was ready to work through me but I did not act because I did not understand? Have there been miracles I did not see because I questioned rather than obey? Is there something in my life right now where God is calling me to step out and obey in faith?

Respond: 

God, help me to obey You without question or hesitation. I tend to always want to know the answers. If You choose to provide them help me to understand. But even if Your calling remains a mystery give me the courage and the faith to step out in response. I want to be a part of what You are doing and that calls for a willingness to obey instantly. Give me that willingness. Help me to trust You not just in words but also in action.