"And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up these things in her heart." Luke 2:51
Mary smiled as she watched the bride and bridegroom. They looked happy. It gave her happy images of her own wedding ceremony, but that had been quite different with a baby in tow!
She looked over her shoulder at a table behind her. There was that baby now. Only now, he was fully grown. A strong, able man, who had been working as a carpenter for a number of years now. Lately, however, his work had stopped, and he had started traveling. Soon a group of twelve men had formed around him, ones that he had hand picked himself, and they stayed with him wherever he went. She smiled as she watched him animatedly talking with those men, memories of him in the temple flashing through her mind.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw several servants clumped together, whispering harshly and pointing abruptly. Mary tried to ignore it, and go back to watching the happy newlyweds. But instead of enjoying that sweet feeling of joy, she had a constant anxious feeling. Finally, she couldn't hold it in any longer. She needed to go over there.
Mary discreetly walked through the party goers and well-wishers. She paused briefly several times to talk to people and relatives that she knew, but she didn't linger for fear of what was going on with the servants.
"Excuse me." She put on one of her tried and true mom smiles, warm and inviting, but also authoritative. "Is there a problem?"
A young servant girl looked relieved that someone had stepped in to help. "We are out of wine!" She whisper-shouted this. The other servants standing next to her looked sheepish and terrified. To run out of wine this early in the celebration was certainly a big problem.
She nodded understandingly, but her mind was elsewhere. It was like she was seeing it all again. The manger where Jesus was born, the shepherds, the chorus of angels, the travelers from afar, the prophecies, the day she and Joseph had found him in the temple talking among the people.
"Stay right here! I know who can help us. I will be right back!" She whirled away from them, and speed walked to her son's table.
He saw her immediately, and smiled at her. Oh, how she loved his smile! He was so dear to her. She motioned for him to come over, and he immediately excused himself and rose.
She opened her mouth to speak, but then stopped. What was she going to tell him? What did she expect him to do? She studied his face for a moment, always knowing that he was destined for so much. It was time for him to step into that. In her heart, this was her way of letting go.
"They have no wine." She watched to see what he would do, holding his gaze.
"Woman, what does this have to do with me?" Mary didn't break eye contact. "My hour has not yet come."
She smiled slightly at him, knowing in her heart that all those things she had wondered about, were about to be fulfilled. She went back to the servants, and Jesus followed her. She pointed at Jesus. "Do whatever he tells you."
Based on John 2:1-5
Ever since Mary was a young woman, she had experienced miraculous things regarding her firstborn son. Visits from angels, prophecy, running for their lives. She had held the words of a heavenly chorus and shepherds' visits in her heart. She had heard the dramatic, life-changing prophecies spoken over him as an infant. She had seen him in the temple, completely in his element as he discussed God and His law with the priests and Pharisees.
This, Jesus' first miracle, is kind of the overflow of all the things Mary had held in her heart. This was where she stopped pondering them, and accepted who and what Jesus was. This is where he shifted from son to Savior.
We hold onto nuggets of God. We put them in our hearts, and we think about them from time to time, always on the lookout to grab a new nugget. But there comes a time when we have to take those nuggets of truth out of the secret place in our hearts, and put them to use. This is when Mary took those God-nuggets, and used them. She knew they would work because she had gathered enough of them over the years, and now, it was time to use them.
Jesus didn't do any miracles without God's okay and blessing. This is His first miracle, and at first, He resisted. There's a reason He did it. There's a reason God allowed it. That's because Mary knew who Jesus was. She didn't need any more convincing.
Do you need more convincing about God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit? Do you need more nuggets to hold in your heart? I think it's time we took our nuggets, and use them for what they really are. They are examples of who God is, and they are nuggets of faith for you and me. Use your nuggets of faith. Because today is the day of the overflow in our lives. Today is the day to know who Jesus is. Today is the day for faith like gold.
"'You are my witnesses,' declares the Lord, 'and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me.'" Isaiah 43:10
V. Joy Palmer
This is a beautiful meditation from Mary's perspective at Cana. May we all model the discipleship and faith of Mary, the Mother of God.
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