Wednesday, January 20, 2010
John 2:4 "Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come."
WE ARE JESUS' FAMILY
At first read, Jesus' response to His mother's request may seem oh-so-callous. When Mary had learned that they had run out of wine at this Cana wedding, she had approached Jesus with the concern -- "They have no wine." What did Jesus mean with His answer? Was He carelessly giving His mother the brush-off? And to call her "woman" -- what is that all about?
The answer needs to begin with what we know about Jesus. He "committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth" (1 Peter 2:22). His whole life from beginning to end was one of absolute perfect obedience to His Father's will.
In addressing His mother as He did, Jesus was not "dissing" her, but making it clear to her that now that His formal work as the Messiah was underway, His mother/son relationship with her would not hold sway over what He did and when. It was not that family ties were not important to Him anymore. No -- just that His focus was now on His spiritual family. He had come to earth so that by His perfect life and innocent death the sins of the world would be paid for. And then through that Good News many -- including us today -- could be brought into His family as God's children by faith in Christ Jesus (See Galatians 3:26).
God be thanked that in His love He has made us His adopted children for Jesus' sake!
