Why Do You Involve Me?
There seems to be an unspoken rule in our family, a pact between my wife and our children, that I should not be involved in any issues unless it is absolutely necessary. Unless circumstances surrounding such matters have begun to spin out of control, don’t involve Daddy in the issue. At least that is what it seems like to an outsider - like me! I completely understand why such a rule has been developed. If there ever was a fallible man, I am he! So when I get involved in family situations there is no telling what direction the spinning matter may fly!
Jesus actually had an opposite experience, and why wouldn’t His experience be the opposite of mine since He is everything but fallible! But I am jumping ahead of myself. In the gospel of John an account is given about Jesus at a wedding that ran out of wine. I am relatively certain this account is familiar to you, whether you are a church going believer or not. If Billy Idol includes a reference to it in his song Eyes Without a Face, then I am pretty sure everyone has heard of Jesus turning water into wine.
A couple of things about this miracle account are of interest to me. The first is where Mary asks Jesus to help. John states in his writings that after “the wine was gone.” (vs 3a) It is interesting that the situation was allowed to proceed until there was absolutely no wine left on the premises. Couldn’t have someone spoken up to inform those in charge that a problem was arising? The answer is likely that the people in charge were aware, and that is why it was allowed to get to the point where the wine had completely run out. It's bad for a wedding to run out of wine. Major faux pas! The people in charge did not want anyone to know. But they were going to know. There was no wine!
If we have faith in Jesus, we know He has the power to answer our prayers. But do we really what His involvement in our troubles.
So Mary goes to Jesus and says, “They have no more wine.” (vs 3b) Jesus’ reply is interesting. He replied to his mother, “Why do you involve Me?” (vs 4) There it is. A situation had arisen and instead of keeping Jesus out of the loop, Mary gets Him involved. Now Jesus’ question is important. But instead of thinking about it in the context of this event, I want us to think about it from the context of our own lives. Think about Jesus asking you the same question - “Why do you involve Me?” The answer is obvious - Jesus knows what to do and He can do it! Whatever “it” is, Jesus has the power to do it.
But are we prepared to face the results of Jesus' involvement in the same manner that Mary did? You see, she essentially told those responsible for serving the wine, which was all gone, that whatever Jesus said to do, “do it.” It did not matter how ridiculous the instruction and it did not matter the outcome, just do what He says. Think about that. Can you go to Jesus and ask for His help while being totally confident that whatever He does and whatever the outcome of His involvement, you’re all good? Jesus made water into wine. He could have asked the servants to fill the jugs with cow dung. He could have turned that into wine. Would you have been alright with that? How about if he would have said nothing and just allowed the wedding celebration to go on without wine? Would the teetotaler Jesus have been alright with you?
When Jesus asks, “Why do you involve Me?”, what is your answer?
The next point of interest is the water. In verse seven John says that Jesus instructed the servants to “fill the jars with water.” It was Jewish custom in those days to have large jars used for ceremonial washing at the entrance of people’s homes. At large events, like weddings, there would be several of these large jars strategically placed in the venue. Jesus asked that they be filled with water. Why? Jesus could have filled the jars with wine out of thin air. Jesus could have caused wine clouds to develop in the skies over the wedding and had them rain down wine on the celebrants. Jesus could have miraculously had every glass in the place filled with wine unending. There was (and is today) no limit to Jesus' miracle working capabilities. But instead, He asked for the jars to be filled with water.
I asked a very intelligent and beautiful woman why He did this and she gave me the answer. Basically this is how it works: the filling of jars was the faith in action required to provide the catalyst for the miracle. Not every miracle is like this but many are. Jesus did not need the medium of water in order to create wine. But in this instance He wanted the servers, who themselves understood that wine was needed, to have enough faith to fill the jars with water. In other words, He wanted their participation. When we go to Jesus for help, are we willing to take the step of faith required to participate in the miraculous outcome? Are we willing, even when the step seems as ridiculous as filling jars with water when wine is needed, to take the risk of doing what Jesus asks?
If we are not, why do we involve Him? If we are, we participate with a miraculous, wonder working God in performing what cannot be done in our own strength to the glory of God Almighty.