I love Mary! In spite of the prevailing picture of a demure, submissive, and pliant female, Mary appears to be anything but in this passage. There is no doubt she hears her son implore her to just let well enough alone; there is no need to push the envelope since he does not perceive this is the appropriate moment to launch a ministry. After all, this is a wedding. He is not called to be a wedding planner or a sommelier. Such concerns seem foreign to what he imagined his ministry would involve. But then comes Mary
No sooner has Jesus made his wishes known than Mary tells the hired help, “Do whatever he tells you.” Period! It’s as if she totally overlooks Jesus concern. He has just told her, “What do your concerns have to do with me?” Her response is, “Your concerns are not an issue right now—these people need help…now!” Mother Mary does not say, “Let it be!” She said, “Do something!” Thus she instructs the servants to follow Jesus’ instructions since she is confident he will in fact do something.
Her insistence
literally pushes Jesus into ministry. At some point Jesus hears the voice
of His father speaking through the stubborn insistence of his mother. She
does not take “no” for an answer, even from the Son of God. That is
boldness. Oh, that we should have some holy boldness as we face moments
of uncertainty, heavenly silence, and even divine resistance. There is
something to be said about the fact that Mary knew Jesus’ heart. She knew
he could not resist the call to serve. She was right. Her boldness
before her son, the Messiah, set in earthly motion the plan set forth in heaven
before the creation of the world. We ought not to be ambivalent in our
prayers and requests to God. We will become bolder as we get to know him
better. Then watch out! Amazing things will happen.
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