John 2:4-5
4) “Jesus said to her, “O woman, what does your concern have to do with me? My hour has not yet come”. 5) His mother said to the servants, “do whatever he tells you”
For many of us, this can be a hard passage to read at first. How often do we read scripture and enforce our own experience onto that of Christ’s? Read the words of Christ in this passage from John again, can you see how easy it is to hear them as callous? We might ask ourselves “did Jesus just sass his mother?” Yet if you have read the remainder of the Gospels I think you’ll find this interpretation as problematic. As Christians we are called to read the words of Christ faithfully, and trust that he wouldn’t be rude or disrespectful, and must try to find any such interpretation as an error on our end, and not that of Christ. So how then do we read this passage?
Perhaps the proper interpretation takes into account both the fact that Jesus was fully human and fully God. In his dominion over all Christ knew that this was to be his first miracle, he knew the wine had run dry, and he knew what Mary would ask of him. Yet in his humanity he felt the deep concern of Mary. In her compassion she wanted the couple who were to be wed to fully enjoy this occasion, and knew the wine running out would be cause for concern. So what Christ does for his mother is what he does for all of us. Christ gave her the opportunity to ask for his intercession.
Christ feels the pain of his mother, and knows what she is to ask, but in letting her ask for help he lets her express concern and feel the love of her son.
Christ feels all of the pain that we feel, and knows exactly what we are going through. And yet we turn to him in prayer, raising our own needs to him, praying for his intercessions. So this Lenten season turn to Christ with all of your concerns and ask for his intercession, for he knows what you are going through, but it is in the pouring out of your prayers that you show love to this world and admit your love for Christ.
Good and gracious God, we come before you today as a Christian people hurt by our very humanity. We pray for your intercession, we pray that you help us to show love, and that you remind all of us of the joy that comes from living a life for you.
-Jack Schroeter, Junior Communication Studies Major
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