Personally, I believe that one of the greatest tragedies I see is men and woman who are so busy being Christians, serving Jesus, and keeping up with the activities in God’s community that they never really get to know the Jesus and build a relationship with Him.
Beyond a doubt, the most important choice that any woman can make in her life is the choice to develop a personal relationship with Jesus---to get to know Him, Who He is, how He thinks, what He feels, and most importantly, how He feels about you and I.
Because I believe this is so important, throughout the winter months, we will be sharing an article entitled "Getting to Know Jesus Better". In each of these articles, we will look at how Jesus personally interacted with individual women while He walked on the earth. We'll see how He spoke to them, how He treated them, and most importantly how He valued their place in the kingdom of God.
It's my prayer that as you read this series, you will see Jesus in a fresh light. I also hope that as you see Jesus' attitude toward women, you'll see yourself through new eyes---God's eyes--and that this will bring a fresh healing and empowerment into your life.
To get started, this month, we're going to look at the first woman in Jesus' life, his mother, Mary, and how He interacted with her at the wedding at Cana.
So let's start, "Getting to Know Jesus" better:
Three days later there was a wedding in the village of Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there. Jesus and his disciples were guests also. When they started running low on wine at the wedding banquet, Jesus’ mother told him, “They’re just about out of wine.”
Jesus said, “Is that any of our business, Mother—yours or mine? This isn’t my time. Don’t push me.”
She went ahead anyway, telling the servants, “Whatever he tells you, do it.”
Six stoneware water pots were there, used by the Jews for ritual washings. Each held twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus ordered the servants, “Fill the pots with water.” And they filled them to the brim.
“Now fill your pitchers and take them to the host,” Jesus said, and they did.
When the host tasted the water that had become wine (he didn’t know what had just happened but the servants, of course, knew), he called out to the bridegroom, “Everybody I know begins with their finest wines and after the guests have had their fill brings in the cheap stuff. But you’ve saved the best till now!”
This act in Cana of Galilee was the first sign Jesus gave, the first glimpse of his glory. And his disciples believed in him.
After this he went down to Capernaum along with his mother, brothers, and disciples, and stayed several days.
John 2:1-12 (The Message)
The first woman we see Jesus interacting with was his Mom, Mary.
Jesus loved his mom. He showed her love by meeting her needs and making sure she was taken care of properly. He had compassion for her. He took being a son seriously and fulfilled His responsibilities to her. He did everything out of a heart that loved.
In John 2, we get a glimpse at the relationship between Jesus and His Mom. The backdrop is a Jewish wedding ceremony in the town of Cana. Jesus was at the very beginning of His ministry. He was there with His mother and His disciples.
While they were at the wedding, news reached Mary that the wedding’s hosts ran out of wine. This was going to be a major embarrassment for the bride and groom. When Mary heard of the problem, she went to Jesus to solve it. Where else would she go?
Over the years, Jesus had proven to Mary that she could rely on Him. After Joseph died, Jesus took over the family business and ran the carpenter’s shop to provide for the family. He helped raise His brothers and sisters until they were grown. As the oldest son, He embraced responsibility and let Mary know that she could count on Him. So, naturally when Mary saw a young couple about to be disgraced on their big day, she went to Jesus to solve the problem.
Jesus responded to His mom’s request tenderly. Although His words may sound like a disrespectful reproof to us, a careful study of the passage shows that His answer was actually quite tender.
It is clear that Jesus didn’t intend to refuse her request, but only to delay it.
Her response shows that she was not offended, but she knew He would handle things.
His response was actually something like, “Mom, don’t worry about it. This isn’t something to for us to worry about. The proper time for intervening hasn’t come yet. When it does, I will handle it.”
Isn’t that beautiful? Jesus didn’t handle her harshly and say, “Listen Lady, I’m here with my friends. What do you want?”
He didn’t just hear her words, but He saw her heart that wanted to help the young couple. He didn’t act like she was a bother or a nuisance, but He listened to her and He helped her. Once again, He proved to Mary that she could rely on Him.
Jesus wants all of us to learn to rely on Him the way that Mary did.
He wants each of us to know that we aren’t a nuisance or a bother to Him.
He doesn’t think our requests are silly or annoying. He wants us to rely on Him for everything.
For me, this is a difficult truth to embrace. It is easier for me to be self-reliant than to trust Jesus and rely on Him.
You see, I grew up in an area where women were not treasured. They were seen as servants to men. Most of the men that I knew were very selfish and wanted women to be there to wait on them. If a woman needed something from a man, it was seen as a major imposition. So, it was hard for my heart to believe that Jesus wanted me to come to Him. Still, over the past few years, that is exactly what He's been teaching me to do.
Over the years I have struggled back and forth between trying to solve problems myself and trusting Him to solve them for Me. When I have laid down my defenses, and relied on Him, He has never let me down. Jesus has always been there to help me, provide for me, and guide me. When I ask His choice in my decisions, His choices are always better than mine.
Everyday, I am learning more and more that I am not a bother to Him, but that He wants to be there for me and all of His ladies.
It is Jesus’ heart’s desire for all of us to see that He is reliable and to rely on Him.
He wants us to get up in the morning and say, “Please walk with me and help me through today.”
When we have a choice or a decision, He wants us to say, “Lord, what do You want me to do?”
He will answer us and lead us in ways that are best for us.
He wants us to come to Him with everything, anytime.
Jesus never meant for us to go through life alone. He wants us relying on Him.
As we take these steps to trust Him, like Mary, we will see that He is reliable and He wants to be there for us.
To Read More About Jesus, and how He feels about you, read, "Finding Significance"
