Read: John 2:1-11
This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him. (v. 11)
Is your life a succession of ordinary events, just one thing after another? Do they have anything to do with God?
In today’s reading, John takes us to a wedding in the town of Cana. Nothing unusual happens except—the wine runs out! In this ordinary situation, Mary prompted Jesus: “They have no wine” (v. 3). It’s a revealing question. Mary knew that Jesus was able to do something, but Jesus wasn’t ready yet: “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come” (v. 4). Mary did not debate. She simply told the servants, “Do whatever he tells you” (v. 5).
And Jesus listened. He turned the water into wine. God does that every day—through grapes and sunlight and photosynthesis; it’s just another day in the life of God.
The miracle at Cana wasn’t part of Jesus’s larger plan. This might well be the only miracle recorded in the Bible that Jesus was not intending to do. But this story shows us that “God’s will” is not a blank, empty stare. God listens, and God acts. And if we are paying attention, we see in those acts God’s glory, and his acts plant seeds of believing faith in us.
As you pray, see Jesus as God, present to you in your place at this time. Tell him your need, and don’t be surprised or unbelieving if he responds the way God would.
About the Author
Fred Van Dyke is a conservation biologist dedicated to the care for God’s creation. In this role Fred has served government agencies, private consulting firms, and academic institutions doing research, management, and teaching in conservation science. He is also the author of two books on faith and environmental stewardship.
