John 2: 5
“His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’”
In this simple verse, Mary tells the servants of the house to do whatever her son tells them to do. Think about this for a minute: There is a major social crisis in progress! There are still up to four days left in the traditional wedding celebration and the wine is already gone! This is a major social faux pas. The newlyweds are in danger of becoming the talk of the town very possibly for their whole lives. Enter Mary: She tells the servants to do what her son tells them to do.
Q: What does this situation tell us about the relationship of Mary to the household where the wedding is being held? Is she a stranger, or a very close friend or relation?
I think they were very close friends because she asked her son to do something about it…and he’s not a wine salesman.
The fact that she can give her friend’s servants orders and expect them to be followed speaks to the familararity she had with these people.
The bible interprets the bible. I was taught to read before and after a verse to help understand a specific verse, and then determine if my conclusion is consistent with scripture.
Jesus has been baptized and tested in the wilderness by Satan, Matt. 4:1-11.
He is now in the process of gathering His disciples. On the third day, His mother is at a wedding Jn. 2:1, Jesus and His disciples were called there Jn 2:2.
We now enter the lack of wine issue, which ends with Jesus turning water into wine.
Scripture tells us Mary was at the wedding and Jesus with His disciples were called. This indicates to me, they were known by the family of the bride and groom, and were guests.
To my knowledge, the bible does not say anything about the relationship of the household and Mary.
However, later when asked about the greatest commandment, Jesus replied the second was to “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Mary out of love for her neighbor went to Jesus with their problem, then acting in submission to His will over her own, asked the servants to ” do as Jesus instructed.” Jesus being God, lived this commandment long before the wedding, and out of love for His mother and all those at the wedding, he gifted them with the very best wine they had ever tasted.
Sorry, their relationship, they were neighbors.
Nice observations Ron.
I would add that Jesus followed one of the tenants commandments…Honor your parents. Despite not being the planned hour, Jesus performed a miracle at his mother’s request.
Great point Robster. Thanks.
Great comments today!
This is not a theological question so much as it is contextual. Sometimes we gloss over these points when they could add color and depth to our understanding of a passage. As Ron points out looking at other verses is important and as we move forward in John our understanding of this verse will add context for the verses to come.
I appreciate all the comments. I found them helpful and insightful. I agree with the sentiments expressed here. I always find it fascinating what this says about Mary. It is one thing to know someone, it is another to care and share their burdens. I love Mary’s heart as she desires to help. She did not judge them for their lack of planning, she just wanted to meet the need and help the hurting.
Good point Rich. It’s amazing, the depth of knowledge our God reveals in a very short passage. Not one word is out of place, and the Holy Spirit communicates what is needed to each individual.
Wow,..this is more than three minutes,..but I’m going with Mary was a very close friend. Great comments,..thanks for the theology!
Interesting question today. It led me to read alot about wedding in the day of Jesus. A simple answer to the question posed would be that Mary would have to be close enough to the family to be concerned about their social embarrassment. This would have been the type of thing that would have followed them for years to come. Also, it would not have been good form for Mary to start telling another family’s servants what to do, so she must have been close enough to feel comfortable in doing so.
I found it interesting that this was Jesus’s first miracle. Mary instructed the servants to do what Jesus told them, but didn’t allude to what that was. She demonstrated total faith and acceptance that He would do something and whatever that was would be sufficient. Jesus also gave us incite into the idea that God is concerned about our happiness, and that sometimes social circumstances do affect our ability to be happy. The marriage ceremony was designed to bring the village together, and the wine was integral to that bonding.
Chris,
I like your take on this. The fact that Jesus was at a wedding and not a kegger is important. The wedding feast is a celebration of God’s provision for marriage. It is also symbolic of God’s relationship with us. (Revelation 19:1-10)
To stretch this metaphor a bit farther, Mary is symbolically if not literally part of the family celebrating marriage. She is no stranger.
Likewise God calls us to be part of His family. The celebration on that day will be eternal!