Helpful!

Monday Message, October 12, 2020: 

John 2:5 NLT: “Mary told the servants, ‘Do whatever he (Jesus) tells you.’”

There’s nothing like a big wedding celebration! Nowadays, the wedding and reception both take place on the same day, and an average basic wedding costs over $10,000. In Jesus’ day, the celebrating could last for a week, so it’s not surprising that they could run a little short on provisions! 

In the case of the wedding at Cana, they were short of wine, and Jesus’ mother Mary first thought, “What could we do that would be helpful?” She asked Jesus to intervene. While others were faulting couple and their parents, complaining about the situation, Mary wanted to do something positive. She explained the problem to Jesus, who said it was not yet his time. Nonetheless, he told the servers to refill the jars used for ritual washing, and then offer some to the maître d’, who raved about the wine’s quality.

This was Jesus’ first known miracle, and Bible teachers tend to focus in on that. But I want us to also look at the motivation for Jesus’ response. When confronted with a problem, the solution wasn’t to complain or assign blame. The solution was to ask, “What could I do that would be helpful? What could I do that would make this better?” 

So reject your first impulse to complain and get angry, and instead improve things - make the situation better! Your hope is in Jesus, so just do what he did!

Blessings and safety all week, 

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406