Dear Amy,
Can we miss out on the Lord’s blessing being poured out in our lives by fumbling and stumbling? Isn’t it part of the human condition to make mistakes? But where do our mistakes leave us?
If you’re guessing that much of what follows was written yesterday morning, coinciding with the low point of your recent rollercoaster ride, you wouldn’t be far wrong! I am so pleased that you’ve had a personal experience of the goodness and kindness of the Lord to draw on in future, Amy, should such a thing happen again. And let me further encourage your heart with this.
Do you remember Jesus’ first miracle?
On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
― John 2:1-5
How presumptuous of Mary, don’t you think? Or is it simply that she knew her son, his character, and his kindness?
Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.”
― John 2:6-10
Why is it that Jesus performed miracles? To authenticate himself and his ministry, and to bring great power to his call to repentance and his invitation to enter the Kingdom.
But not here.
Here Jesus says nothing about who he is or why he has come. There is no call to repentance, and no invitation. It is as he says to his mother, “My hour has not yet come.” He has not yet started his ministry.
So why did he change the water into wine?
We could ask a similar question of Elisha making the axe-head float (2 Kings 6:1-7). Elisha’s miracle was no great public show to refute the pagans or to demonstrate the power and authority of the Lord. It was a private little miracle done out of kindness to rescue one man from the consequences and shame of a simple mistake.
And so it was with Jesus. Even ahead of starting his ministry, he took pity on that wedding family who had misjudged provisioning of the wine. Embarrassment would have ensued, but not really major disaster. Nevertheless, Jesus stepped in with grace and kindness and not only undid the consequences of their mistake, but provided above and beyond, his wine being the best that was served at that celebration. Hallelujah! What a Saviour!
The Apostle Peter understood this more than most, and for obvious reasons.
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
― 1 Peter 5:6-7
Jesus himself is kindness personified (Titus 3:4-5). We see this not only in the wedding wine of Cana, but also in the communion wine of the last supper, in his blood of the covenant poured out at Calvary.
Cast all your anxiety on him, Amy, now or at a future time, because he cares for you! 🙏❤️