“Mother and Son” – John 2:1-5

The hardest job in the world must be that of a mother. She must be a cook, a child psychologist, a nurse, a teacher, a disciplinarian, a listening ear and a maid, to name but a few of the duties that fall upon her. If she works outside the house, she is responsible for finding proper care for her children while she is away from them. The role of a mother is often taken for granted.

The Bible, a font of knowledge for all sorts of things, has scant to say specifically about mothers. There are references to fathers and mothers (in that order) and there are some references to women as a wife, but there is really no specific passage that we can look at to see the role of a mother with her children.

However, we do get glimpses of mothers and their children. Rachel and Jacob, Hannah and Samuel and Bathsheba and Solomon are a few examples. Perhaps the best examples of a mother and child relationship can be found in the life of Mary, if for no other reason than that there are more passages of the Bible that speak about Mary.

In today’s passage, we see how Mary trusted in Jesus and how Jesus answered her trust.

Background

In Luke’s gospel account, we get an early glimpse of Mary as a woman of trust and submission to God (cf. Luke 1:26-38). We see her as someone who is thoughtful (cf. Luke 2:19, 51b) and someone who had a genuine concern for her children (cf. Luke 8:19-21). She observed the laws given to Moses and she and Joseph passed this on to their children, making annual pilgrimages to Jerusalem to celebrate one of the holy days, usually Passover.

In this particular passage, the emphasis is on Jesus’ first miracle as a testimony of Jesus’ compassion and ability to offer the best to those who trust Him. However, we also see Mary dealing directly with Jesus in a public setting. In the situation, we learn quite a bit about their relationship. While the relationship is not the focus of the text, there is enough her to warrant considering.

In these few short verses, we gain insight into why Mary was a good mother and is a role model for mothers everywhere as well as all people in general.

Central Truth: Mary and Jesus’ relationship shows mutual trust and respect.

We see the trust and respect in:

1. Mary’s statement to Jesus (1-3)

On the third a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and His disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to Him, “They have no more wine.”

At Stephen and Whitney’s wedding, we all had a wonderful time. Stephen was so happy, and Whitney was clearly enjoying herself. The wedding was an opportunity for family to gather to celebrate rather than mourn, and we celebrated with all our heart. Everything was really good, including the food and the cake. There were leftovers, and we enjoyed them for several more meals.

When the happy couple came by the house after the wedding, we discovered that not everything was wonderful after all. It seemed the caterer had served the wrong main course (which was still so flavorful) and that the wedding cake was different as well. Only Stephen and Whitney knew of the mix-up, and they were unhappy about it, but still agreed that the wedding and celebration more than made up for the error on the menu.

In Jewish weddings of the day, the celebration would last for days, allowing invited guests to travel and get to the wedding. John wrote that it was the third day of the wedding when Mary, Jesus and His disciples came to the wedding. Cana was roughly three miles from Nazareth, so it is reasonable to believe that Mary knew the family, as did Jesus. One of the disciples, Nathaniel, was also from Cana, so he was probably a friend of the family as well.

Not unlike Stephen and Whitney’s wedding, though, a problem arose regarding the wine. According to John, the hosts ran out of wine, and there were still days of celebration ahead.

Was Mary made aware of the problem because she was a close friend of the family? Did she learn of it when she requested a glass? The Bible doesn’t say. What it does say is that the moment Mary learned there was a problem, she immediately turned to her Son and told Him matter—of-fact, “They have no more wine.”

Like Mary, Jesus was an invited guest. Mary knew that Jesus had no wine concealed upon Him, and even if He did, it would not be enough to provide for the needs of the wedding party. So why turn to Jesus? Several things come to mind.

First, Mary had watched Jesus grow up, from the manger to the Temple to the wedding and everything in between. She knew her Son and she knew what He was capable of. Had Jesus performed some miracles as a child? Did He demonstrate the compassion and willingness to help that was so characteristic of His ministry leading up to the cross? We have no way of knowing. All we can ascertain from a mother’s statement is that she knew there was a problem, and she knew her Son could fix the problem.

My mother often told me she believed I could do anything I set my mind to and that she thought God had a special calling for me. Mom’s confidence in me was greater than my confidence in myself, but a mom’s confidence is built in part on her past experiences with her child. Mary knew in her heart that Jesus was the only One who could solve the problem. So she did what you and I should do every time we have a problem: Go to Jesus.

2. Jesus’ response to His mother (4)

Dear woman, why do you involve Me?” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.”

At first glance, Jesus’ response to Mary calls into the question on whether He had failed to honor His mother. Imagine the reaction if you were to respond to your mother with, “Woman, . . .”

Reading this verse should remind us that societies change over time. The term Jesus used in this verse is one of endearment. The NIV has it as “Dear woman.” Jesus was never disrespectful towards His parents. We know this because Jesus is without sin.

What He says after this is open to discussion. Jesus may have been asking Mary, “What does this have to do with Me?” In other words, this is someone else’s problem and He doesn’t’ want to butt in where He hasn’t been asked. It is doubtful that this is the case. There are a number of examples in the Gospels where Jesus did act without being asked—the healing of the blind man in John 9, the healing of the crippled man at the pool of Bethesda in John 5 to mention only two. To seem to be unconcerned about the wedding host’s problem is contrary to the Savior who looked upon the crowds with compassion.

It could have been a test for His mother. Would Mary extend her trust in Jesus to the point that she knew she could leave the problem in His hands, or would she back off her request.

More likely Jesus is telling His mother that the time for Him to do miracles has not yet arrived. In John’s account of the Gospel, there are repeated references to Jesus’ time, meaning the time of His betrayal and crucifixion. It may be that Jesus was telling Mary that she shouldn’t try to rush Him into doing things before their time. We know from the following verses that Jesus showed His love and respect for Mary in that He did exactly what she asked Him to do.

3. Mary’s instructions to the servants (5)

His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever He tells you.”

Had this been a test of Mary’s faith, then she passed with flying colors. She is also a woman who was not afraid to take charge. Having told Jesus there was a need that only He could meet, she then turned with confidence to the servants and told them, “Do whatever He tells you.” Her faith in her Son was such that she knew not only that He would take care of the problem but that He would know exactly what to do. In her words to the servants Mary demonstrated that she had all the confidence in the world in Jesus, that she knew her Son well enough that she could trust Him to do the right things and do it well. Mary turned the problem over to Jesus and then walked away from it. She had done all she needed to do.

In the same way, we can find ourselves up against a problem, one that may be of our own doing or not, one that may seem insurmountable or beyond our ability to comprehend. Whether our problems are big or small, we can learn from Mary to go immediately to Jesus, give Him the problem and then walk away from trying to do it ourselves.

Conclusion

Almost all mothers see their children through lenses that always put their child in the best light. It’s always better for a mother to see their son or daughter with a reality that is based on their knowledge and confidence in the child’s ability. Sometimes, a mother has to challenge her child to bring out the best, to allow the child to realize they can be successful.

It’s also a benefit when a child learns to trust his or her mother and to step out on a limb when challenged to do so. A mother’s love will never let a child’s failure harm the child. Knowing that mother has our best interest at heart, we can take steps that she suggests.

In the relationship between Jesus and Mary, we find the trust, the respect and the love that cements the bond between a mother and child. We see the strength of the relationship that grows, even after the child has become an adult in their own right. A child of any age will always need his or her mother’s encouragement and wise words.

As we celebrate Mother’s Day, let us learn from Mary and from Jesus. Let us learn to put our absolute trust in Mary’s Son, and allow Him to work through us. What better gift can we give to our mothers?