Receive and give

John 2:6-7 Now there were six stone waterpots set there for the Jewish custom of purification, containing twenty or thirty gallons each. Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” So they filled them up to the brim. First, let’s recall what happened at the wedding in Cana. Jesus and His disciples were attending a wedding, probably of a family friend. A serious problem arose when the supply of wine ran out. Mary brought the problem to Jesus. Jesus’ response to Mary was that this problem wasn’t His or His disciples’ problem, and that His time hadn’t come. Nevertheless, His mother, Mary, in some way responsible for the servants serving the wine to the guests, told the servants to do whatever Jesus said to do. So now the situation is in Jesus’ hands. Second, let’s consider Jesus’ options. He could have done nothing. Or He could have spoken wine into existence into the empty wine jars that had been used. His Father could have had a wine supplier drive by at just the right time with a wagon full of wine. But there’s an important lesson for us to learn about Jesus. He believed everything that happened in His life was given from His Father to glorify His Father by demonstrating His satisfaction in Him and to reveal the Father’s love. So He simply received what the Father gave Him, both in the specific circumstance and in response. When Jesus noticed the waterpots, He received them as the Father’s provision for the situation. This is what He did later in His ministry when faced with the hunger of thousands of people on a couple of occasions. The Father provided a few fish and loaves of bread, so He worked with what He had. In living to love with Jesus, if we will have the same humble attitude of receiving what our Father gives to us, His love will flow freely through us. Third, when God is at work, it doesn’t mean we won’t have to work. Finding as much as 180 gallons of water, filling the pots, and then transporting them wasn’t an easy or quick task. It could have taken hours. All we know from John’s report is that the servants did what Jesus said. The typical way God works is through us. In this instance, the servants were serving the guests but doing so through the guidance and power of Christ. What they had to do certainly wasn’t convenient nor easy. As we live to love with Jesus, we should not be surprised nor put out if loving comes with the cost of inconvenience and exhaustion. We, like the servants, should be ready to do whatever He tells us to do so that God may be glorified as we look to Him for guidance and power. Fourth, the servants didn’t just put water in the pots, they filled them to the brim. As we serve the Lord in all that we do, let’s do it to the fullest degree. Think of it this way. The servants gave Jesus as much water as they could for Him to work with. Let’s do the same today. Let’s give Jesus all that we have so that He might be revealed in glory through our lives. We simply receive from Jesus and then give our all. I invite you to become a partner in our ministry. Would you pray about becoming a regular supporter of Elijah Ministries and the Live to Love with Jesus ministry? I hope you will receive the joy and benefit of “giving it forward,” so others may receive encouragement to turn their hearts to God and to live to love with Jesus. You may give online or send a check to the address listed at www.spiritofelijah.com/donate.