Lessons from the Life of Mary Accessing the Anointing and Favor of God

There they were, attending a wedding given by friends and family. She was there with her adult son and his friends. Clearly Mary didn’t have a husband to attend with her, but I imagine that she was pleased to be at a feast with her son. After all, he was Jesus. She had on her best robes, she was sitting with him, eating and drinking  and living her best life…listening to music and storytelling. I’ll bet he was a funny conversationalist. There was so little joy in daily life during that Roman occupied Israel, I’m thinking a wedding would be a much anticipated party.  We also know that in those days a wedding lasted for several days so running out of food or wine would be a disaster, but that’s just what happened.

Upon learning this, Mary informed Jesus, “They have no more wine.” How embarrassing it was  for the newlyweds.  Jesus didn’t respond in a way you might expect. He didn’t say, “I’ll see what I can do about that.” Instead, he said,
“What’s that got to do with me?” It sounds almost like, “Not my problem.” 
Then he says, “My time hasn’t come yet.”  “Mom, not now.”
Unfazed, Mary tells the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 

You realize for thirty years she’s be pondering on the meaning of his miraculous conception and the supernatural occurrences surrounding his birth.  This girl has been visited by angels, shepherds and Persian dignitaries in regard to the birth of her son. She knows the messianic prayers Simeon and Anna prayed over him at his dedication. She’s been patient enough, so when she says, “Do whatever he tells you,” she’s confident that good things will happen. Jesus relents; he gives in. It’s possible that she was not only his mom, at this point she was probably his best friend, too.

If you know the story, next Jesus directs the servants to fill six giant, stone, ceremonial jars with water. This household was clearly concerned with observing the Law since they had not just jugs, but ceremonial jugs, and I wonder what the servants were thinking at that point since they had to walk back and forth from a well with some type of pitchers because there were no faucets or garden hoses to fill the jugs. Did they think he was crazy?  Finally Jesus instructs them to take the beverage to the master of the banquet. We are not told at what point the water became wine, we only know that the master of ceremonies was impressed with the quality of the wine. “You’ve saved the best wine for last!” he proclaims.Mary must’ve been elated with the outcome of the event, maybe even a little discreetly smug. After all, isn’t hard not to bask in the reflective glow of our children’s accomplishments?

Here’s what can we learn from her:

 Like Mary, you’re allowed to get involved with the concerns on the hearts of those around you even about matters that seem trivial. I mean clearly there was a lack of planning on the part of some wedding planner, but instead of blaming someone, we see Mary employing her faith in Jesus to bring solutions. Mary is not only enjoying the blessing, friendship and ‘favor of God,’ she shares that favor with her newly married friends. Because we are “in Christ,” we not only have access to anointing and favor, we have the privilege of sharing the embrace of heaven with everyone we meet.  “Then, by constantly using your faith the life of Christ will be released deep inside you, and the resting place of his love will become the very source and root of your life.” Eph. 3:17 TPT

Like Mary, we believe that Jesus has what’s needed. He’s not poor or stingy. He’s extravagant. He brings provision where there’s lack, and isn’t that what he does best? Where there has been sorrow, he’s the source of true joy. He brings the best wine, because the celebration is important to him and he’s the ultimate connoisseur.

Perhaps it’s our job to not only spread joy when we can, but to also broker the miraculous presence of Jesus into the lives of needy, hurting people.  We look for opportunities as daughters and sons of the Father; we look up to heaven, and like Mary we say, “They have no more wine.”

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