JESUS AND HIS MOTHER MARY

Jesus and His mother, Mary, along with His disciples attended a wedding in Cana of Galilee. For a brief moment Mary becomes the focus of the story because, for some reason, when the wine ran out she felt compelled to come and tell Jesus about it. Interestingly, she didn’t say what she expected Jesus to do, nor did she respond when Jesus asked her why she had even involved Him. Even though she didn’t say it, her behavior seems to imply a request that Jesus provide the desperately needed wine.

Jesus’ question as to why she involved Him may have caught Mary off guard. On hearing the question she realized she had no answer really. She knew a great embarrassment was about to be suffered by the bridegroom’s family. What was unknown to her was that God was already at work in this situation in a way that was far beyond her understanding. Looking back, we know that Jesus’ question and Mary’s failure to answer served the greater purpose of pointing out that this moment in time, this event and even the need for wine were all in God’s hands not Mary’s. Frankly she couldn’t have answered why she involved Jesus even if she had wanted to.

Something deep within me demands that Jesus’ mother be given the benefit of the doubt here. All mothers are special, especially this woman who was handpicked by God to birth His Son and mother Him to manhood. From infancy Mary had cared for this Man, “the one and only Son” whom His Father was now calling out to do His will and work in the world. However, we must never forget that although Mary played a very special role in Jesus life, from the Annunciation to the Resurrection, she was nonetheless just a woman – human not divine.

Mary was very aware of her lowly estate. “I am the Lord’s servant,” she said. (Luke 1:38) In Mary’s Song, known as the Magnificat, she said, “From now on all generations will call me blessed,” for indeed she was. But she preceded those words with these, “…my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of His servant.” (Luke 1:47-48) Mary serves as a role model of selfless submission to the will of God. She was willing to do the bidding of God, even at great risk to herself, and made no assumptions of greatness for herself. It is pure idolatry to make of her something more than she knew herself to be and more than even Jesus acknowledged her to be. She was the mother of the flesh, the Man, in whom “the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.” (Colossians 1:19) But she was not “the mother of God,” as some say, she was His servant.

We have no Biblical evidence that Jesus elevated Mary to some special status above that of other servants of the Lord. In fact Jesus set the record straight when His mother and His brothers showed up outside a house where He was teaching. “Someone told him, ‘Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.’ He replied to him, ‘Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?’ Pointing to his disciples, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.’” (Matthew 12:46-50) What an awesome thought; anyone who does the will of God in heaven is Jesus’ brother or sister, or even mother. Mary was special to Jesus as His human mother, but she held no elevated status above anyone else who did the will of His Father.

Jesus’ natural family had to deal with who He was just as everyone else did. They were not convinced at first that He was the Son of God. “Even his own brothers did not believe in him.” (John 7:1) They had serious doubts about who He was and even questioned His sanity. On one occasion Jesus’ family heard that such large crowds were coming and going from the house where He was that He and His disciples couldn’t even eat. “When His family heard about this, they went to take charge of Him, for they said, ‘He is out of His mind.’” (Mark 3:21) Jesus said, ‘Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor.’ (Mark 6:4) “And he was amazed at their lack of faith.” (6:6) Obviously, with difficulty because of familiarity, His brothers and sisters and even His mother had to come to faith in Him as the Christ, as their Savior and Lord. How many members of His family ever came to faith in Him is unknown. Each year on October the 23rd the Christian Church remembers one of Jesus’ brothers, James of Jerusalem, who was stoned to death for his faith in Jesus Christ. Paul also speaks of “James, the Lord’s brother.” (Galatians 1:19)

Exactly where Mary, our Lord’s mother, was in her own faith in Jesus on the day of the wedding is not clear. Though she may not have understood why she did it, it would be quite natural for a mother to presume upon her son. When Jesus asked her, “Woman, why do you involve me?” even though she gave no answer, she no doubt looked Him straight in the eyes and gave Him one of those “mother looks” that said, “I’m your mother.” As she was doing this, she spoke right past Him to the servants standing nearby, “Do whatever He tells you.”

What Mary knew or didn’t know and why she involved Jesus fades in importance. At the end of the story Jesus performed a miraculous sign that provided a plenteous supply of wine, the best that was served at the wedding. Jesus pleased both worlds, the human with His mother and its needs and the Divine with His Father and His perfect will. By this sign Jesus granted His mother’s request and revealed His glory according to His Father’s perfect timing and design. Human need and the Father’s will were both fulfilled in the wine.