Journal Entry // April 10, 2022
His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
John 2:5 ESV
I love this passage of Jesus interacting with his mother prior to the first recorded public miracle. It makes me laugh every time I read and think about it because I could see this conversation playing out in every family. A mother passively asking the son to do something and the son playfully balking at the idea. Then the mother just turning away with a smile knowing that the son will do as she asked. I can see the smiles on the faces of Mary and Jesus during this conversation and the knowing acceptance that the Son, her son, would do as his mother asked.
But there is something deeper here that I haven’t really thought much about and that is the faith of Mary. How many times had she witnessed Jesus perform a miracle in her presence? How often had she witnessed the power of Christ at work in the natural world. I am amazed at the strength of her faith in Jesus. Not just a faith that he could do something about the shortage of wine, but something far, far deeper and personal.
Mary’s faith was based not only upon the ability of Jesus to provide the physical request she was asking, but that she rested secure in the fact that Jesus cared for her and would gladly give to meet her request. It was a deeply personal request asked in faith. Mary knowing for certain that Jesus would hear her request and answer. Her confidence is so motivating. Confident enough that even when Jesus playfully balks at the request, Mary turns to the servants and tells them to do as Jesus says… knowing that he would.
Do I have this kind of absolute faith in my requests? Sadly, I don’t. I want to be more like Mary. I want to delight myself in the Lord and have him give me the desires of my heart. To have him place within me those desires that glorify and honor him. This is what I want and need in my heart. I want my heart to desire Jesus above all things and take complete delight in his presence. This is the heartbeat I long for in my life. Delighting myself in Jesus, simply because he is Jesus.