Thursday, March 31, 2022

Water Into Wine

 


When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine."  "Woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied.  "My hour has not yet come."  His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."

Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.  Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water;" so they filled them to the brim.  Then he told them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet."

They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine.  He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew.  Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now." ~John 2:3-10

Every time we see people as ordinary, we turn the wine back into water. ~Bob Goff, Live in Grace, Walk in Love

Who among us doesn't love a good celebration?  Whether it's a birthday or retirement party, or a wedding reception, we all share the joy of the person(s) being honored at those special events.  We don't see them as ordinary folks in these moments, but view them as precious people worthy of our acknowledgement that they are exceptional, deserving and oh, so loved!

What would this world look like if we didn't reserve our love for others to special days only?  What if we celebrated every person we meet as a child of God, created in His image?  Wouldn't that change our perspectives of our fellow sojourners on this earth for the better?

Jesus didn't have to perform the Miracle at Cana; in fact, He tells Mary, His mother, "My hour has not yet come."  But I don't imagine there was another soul in the world that recognizes Jesus' destiny more acutely and definitively as Mary does.  She confidently tells the servant to simply, "Do whatever He tells you," knowing in her heart of hearts that her son, God's Son, can do nothing less than to celebrate the extraordinary in the midst of the ordinary.

The One who brings great joy to those attending the wedding will also bring, by His death and resurrection, that same joy to the entire human race.  Jesus willingly sacrificed Himself for the sins of the whole world, not because we are deserving, but because God does not see any one of us as ordinary.

We are His beloved children.  And when we resolve to view others in the same way, that's when miracles can happen, just like they did in Cana.

Amen!



49 comments:

  1. What a brilliant post. I really have nothing to add. You said it so well, Martha. Thank you so much.

    God bless always.

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    1. I'm so glad the post spoke to your heart today, Victor. Thanks for your kind words!
      Love and blessings!

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  2. The first recorded miracle has also suggested (to me, at least) that it was a lot more complex that our usual "water into wine" shorthand. I think you caught some of that complexity here -- the event, the problem, Mary's understanding that her son could perform this miracle. How did she know, unless she had seen him do something like it before?

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    1. I'm so thankful for the insight God gave me at the time I chose to write this, Glynn. I'm with you as to its complexity once you go a bit deeper into the story. I think Mary must have seen Jesus perform some miracle and knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that He could make this one happen.
      Love and blessings!

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  3. Such a wonderful post, Martha! I love thinking about the awesome power of Jesus to transform that is made evident in this story and it reminds me that even though I am not who I long to be, He is in the process of making that transformation. I want to be as fluid as water in His hands, pliable like clay. Thank you for this thought-provoking post this morning - it fed my soul. I also love the point Glynn made in his comment above about Mary having seen Jesus do something like this before. Oh, I wish we knew more about His life on earth! I am so thankful for all that has been recorded that we have available to read but just wish they hard written more! God bless you today and continue to lay His healing hand on you, sweet friend.

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    1. I would have loved to know more about Jesus' life on earth, too, Cheryl, but my guess is that the disciples wanted to simply tell the stories in ways that would always point to the fact that Jesus was the Messiah. What He did while growing up was probably just considered superfluous to communicating God's Good News. At least, though, we can use our imaginations to picture Jesus in other scenarios.
      Love and blessings!

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  4. Sorry, meant to say "just wish they had written more."

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  5. And we know to always do what mama tells us. :-) Whenever I read this story, I think of my own mama. Not that she encouraged me to do the miraculous, but that she often pushed me to be the best me possible. Mama's believe in us when no one else can or will.

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    1. Amen, J. D.! Yes, if we know what's good for us, we will do what Mama tells us to. And I feel that Jesus may have needed this final nudge from His mother to enter the realm of the miraculous. He may have been divine, but He was human, too, and as humans, we all need encouragement.
      Love and blessings!

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  6. I thought exactly as Glynn when I read your post. What had Jesus already done that Mary KNEW he could turn that water to wine?
    Blessings!

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    1. If you agree with Glynn, Lulu, you are definitely in good company! My suspicions align with yours, too.
      Love and blessings!

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  7. Dearest Martha Jane,
    We sure could use a few more miracles for rescuing ordinary people with dreams and hopes for a tomorrow; saving them from the tooth of evil, caused by the devil... May a nation in despair see such a miracle unfolding, by lots of prayer and again intervention by Mary, Jesus' Mother.
    Hugs,
    Mariette

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    1. Amen, Mariette! Let's keep prayers going for all those who desperately need miracles in the here and now.
      Love and blessings!

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  8. Wonderful, Martha! The 'what if?' reminds me of something that resonated when I saw it on FB: ..."Everything we say at funerals should be said at birthday parties. We leave so much love unspoken."

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    1. What a sad but true statement that is, Myra. Let us celebrate one another while we are here on earth, not wait until someone has passed to extol their virtues.
      Love and blessings!

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  9. Yes. Amen, and I agree with Myra.

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  10. And He's still working miracles today! There are scoffers who don't believe it, some who are very "religious", but for those of us who have been recipients of His grace, love, and yes, miracles, we know that we can always expect the unexpected when Jesus comes to the celebration!! Great post, Martha. Thank you.

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    1. We can always expect the unexpected when Jesus is among us, Pamela - you are so right! Glad you enjoyed the post today.
      Love and blessings!

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  11. I like your idea of treating others as special, because; in God’s eyes that is exactly
    what we are. We are unique and special. Thank you, Martha, for this lovely reminder. Love and blessings.

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    1. Jesus told us to treat others the way we want to be treated, so loving others openly and freely takes us more fully in that direction, Nells. Yes, we all are unique and special in God's eyes.
      Love and blessings!

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  12. HI Martha,
    lovely post. The words 'Do whatever He tells you have always spoken to me in my walk with Jesus, and I have always tried to see people as He sees them. The scripture 'When you are with a Jew become as a Jew in order to win him for Christ' has always spoken to me too. God bless.

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    1. Wouldn't it be wonderful if all of us woke up in the morning, resolved to do whatever it is Jesus wants us to do? A better world, that's for certain, Brenda.
      Love and blessings!

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  13. What a difference our world would be (and our churches) if we truly saw others as you have stated in the very last paragraph. I want to be one of those who see people differently, as beloved children.

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    1. I want the same thing, Bill, although I do understand it is easier said than done. But let's resolve to try anyway! We are doing Jesus' will when we do so.
      Love and blessings!

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  14. Martha, this is an amazing and enlighting post. Love everything about it, every word. What a difference we would make in this world if we truly viewed everyone as God's creation deserving of great love. And I your thought of not reserving love for special days only. God bless!

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    1. As we just celebrated our anniversary, Danny and I know that if we only showed love, kindness and respect for one another on that day alone, what a pathetic marriage ours would be! Love needs to be an ongoing, intentional practice in all of our relationships. Glad you enjoyed the post, Karen!
      Love and blessings!

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  15. To consistently treat others with respect, kindness, and to give them the benefit of the doubt - we all need to do that. I'm working on it!

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    1. I think that in all of us, Barbara, that's a work in progress. The more we are determined to get there, though, the easier it will be over time.
      Love and blessings!

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  16. Wonderful isn't it, that He considers us all worthy of His love!

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    1. It's absolutely amazing, Marja! And when we can offer that kind of love to others, we become more and more like Jesus.
      Love and blessings!

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  17. A delightful attitude to take: pretend it's the birthday of each person we encounter. The positive energy created will be a miracle in itself as we cause people to smile and even laugh for joy! Thank you, Martha, for this lovely insight.

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    1. How I love how you have elaborated on the concepts I've presented here, Nancy! What a better world it would be if we were all committed to celebrating one another each and every day.
      Love and blessings!

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  18. Celebrating every person we meet as a child of God would change the world! I love Bob Goff's writings. He is such an encourager, as are you, Martha.

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    1. Bob Goff is such an encouraging writer, Lisa, I agree, and I've found much inspiration in this devotional of his. Thank you for complimenting me as an encourager, too. It's the highest compliment I could ever have, my friend, and it's what I always hope I can do through my blog.
      Love and blessings!

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  19. Martha, thanks for the nudge to celebrate each other day in and out, friend. It's too easy to focus on the negative or the hiccups in the relationships around us. If ever we needed to bless each other with kindness, it's now.

    Thanks for taking us there. I so appreciate you.

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    1. And I so appreciate you, Linda! It is all too easy to focus on the negatives instead of wading through the weeds to find the positives, but I believe God is challenging us to do just that.
      Love and blessings!

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  20. Boa noite Martha. Que possamos todos os dias da nossa vida, permitir que o senhor Jesus trabalhe em nossa vida.

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    1. Amen, Luiz! Let us submit to the Lord's will each and every day.
      Love and blessings!

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  21. Ah, this is beautiful. Mary knows her Son and she knows what He's capable of. She has faith in Him. More importantly, she knows that Jesus will always help when help is needed.

    And the lesson we're learning from this is that we should obey what God says and miracles will happen in our lives. We open ourselves to God's miracles when we allow Him to rule over us.

    Thanks for sharing this.

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    1. You are absolutely spot on, Lux! It's when we submit to God and obey Him that miracles abound, unexpected, but ever so welcomed.
      Love and blessings!

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  23. Olá Martha
    Linda postagem. Jesus nos ensina sempre, como é importante tratar o próximo com bondade e entusiasmo. Um forte abraço.

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    1. Oh, let us be ever ready to treat others with kindness and care, Lucinalva. Hugs to you!
      Love and blessings!

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  24. The world would certainly be a better place. thoughtful post!!

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    1. Wouldn't it, Jean? Oh, how we struggle in our longing to be more like Jesus when we're stuck in our humanity.
      Love and blessings!

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  25. Martha, thank you for this thoughtful post. I pray each day for the eyes, heart, and mind of Christ so I can see each person and event from the perspective of Christ.

    Each person is unique and valuable and deserves to be seen and heard and loved.

    Love and blessings!

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    1. Oh, amen, Kim, they certainly do! Another reason why your latest project inspiration is so very important.
      Love and blessings!

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