Mother of Jesus Was There
Have you ever been to a department store that pumped scents into the air? When we smell that sweet aroma, we become eager to buy something. We wish we could take that aroma home with us.
God has given us a secret of how to pump a sweet scent into our lives. When we smell it, we immediately become more eager to be closer to God. All of us know this secret.
We see it unveiled in today’s familiar story (John 2:1-11).
“There was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’”
There’s the secret “scent”—the mother of Jesus. We wonder why the organizers of the wedding invited Mary, after all she was not the most popular woman in the community. Little did they know how wise they were in having Jesus’ mother there. Always an attentive mother, Mary noticed that the servers were upset because the wine bottles were empty. No wine, no party. Instead of talking to the servants, her first step was to talk to Jesus. She didn’t tell him what to do; she simply stated her concern, “They have no wine.”
Jesus seemed to dismiss her comment:
“Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.”
After all this was not a synagogue; it was a party. His ministry had not yet begun. This didn’t seem to deter Mary.
“His mother said to the servers, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’”
She led the servants immediately to Jesus.
We know the rest of the story. As much as 180 gallons of water was instantly turned into the best wine the people had ever tasted, and the party continued perhaps for days. Do you think the hosts of that wedding party were glad that they invited Mary?
By blessing this wedding with a miracle, God was declaring that the great wedding prophesied by Isaiah was now taking place (Isaiah 62:1-5).
“No more shall people call you ‘Forsaken’…For the Lord delights in you and makes your land his spouse. As a young man marries a virgin, your Builder shall marry you; and as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride, so shall your God rejoice in you.”
Mary’s sweet presence at Cana not only brought more joy to the celebration, it also was a sign that the day of the great wedding for Israel, as foretold by Isaiah, had now begun. God was visiting his people in a new way—not just as a protector and savior, but as a husband.
Do we think of inviting Mary into the small events and concerns of our lives? Do we realize that Mary always brings Jesus and his disciples with her? And do we realize that Mary, as a most sensitive mother, looks inside our hearts and recognizes that we “have no wine.” Our lives may be drab and meaningless or even distressful. The water in our lives needs to be turned into wine. When she sees us in need, Mary speaks to Jesus for us. When we turn to Jesus, he always has the perfect answer we need.
God wants us to be part of his beloved “bride.” He wants to draw us to himself as a bridegroom takes a bride. He wants to make our lives richer and fuller of his love.
Let’s learn to invite the mother of Jesus into every aspect of our lives. Let her sweet aroma surround us whether at home or in the marketplace. All we must do is get into the habit of saying, “Hail Mary, full of grace…pray for us sinners now and at the hour of death.” A mother always responds to the voice of one of her children. We turn to Mary and invite her into the inner room of our hearts so we can be part of God’s wedding feast. Let’s take Mary home with us today.
