I love the story of the Wedding at Cana found in John 2:1-11 for so many reasons, but mostly for the lesson in true obedience that Jesus gives us in it. To summarize, Jesus and His followers are at a wedding when the head servant tell Mary that they have run out of wine. Mary tells Jesus about the problem and tells Him to solve it. At first Jesus asks her what she thinks He should do about it. Jesus tells His mother that "His hour has not yet come".
What happens next is my favorite part. I like to imagine that Mary looks at her son, our Savior and Lord, and gives Him an "Excuse-me-Young-Man" look as she turns back to the servant and says, "Do whatever he tells you."
With that, Mary leaves and Jesus follows her instructions. He tells the servants to pour out the dirty water from the washing jars and fill them up again with clean water. The water is then miraculously transformed into delicious wine.
Let's ponder this moment a bit. Jesus is God-made-Man, Creator of all, Redeemer and Defender. He has the power to cure the sick, heal the blind, and raise the dead. He already knew that there was an agonizing road ahead of Him that would ultimately lead to His crucifixion.
But He still listens to His Momma.
If our Lord Jesus can humble Himself low enough to obey His human mother, then surely we can follow Mary's words to the servants to "Do whatever He tells you."
Now look at the servants' reaction to Jesus' instructions. They probably didn't know why Jesus asked them to empty the jars and the fill them again with water. How could that help? Again, I like to imagine the sideways glances these men probably have to one another before they complied. But still, they were obedient to Jesus.
I love this analogy: the water jars needed to be emptied before the good wine could be poured in. We must run dry of ourselves to be filled to the brim by Christ.
Do whatever He tells you. Give it to Jesus. He is the only one who can transform your sorrow into joy.
And do as Jesus does: #listentoHisMomma!