In Matthew 11:29-30 Jesus says '“Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”'
He wants to help us by teaching us things that keep us "living freely and lightly". Why do things the hard way if there is an easier way?
If we look at the beginning of his ministry he can teach us a lot about our own new beginning. He went to a wedding in Cana, where he performed his first miracle. We read in John 2:1-11:
1-3 Three days later there was a wedding in the village of Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there. Jesus and his disciples were guests also. When they started running low on wine at the wedding banquet, Jesus’ mother told him, “They’re just about out of wine.”
4 Jesus said, “Is that any of our business, Mother—yours or mine? This isn’t my time. Don’t push me.”
5 She went ahead anyway, telling the servants, “Whatever he tells you, do it.”
6-7 Six stoneware water pots were there, used by the Jews for ritual washings. Each held twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus ordered the servants, “Fill the pots with water.” And they filled them to the brim.
8 “Now fill your pitchers and take them to the host,” Jesus said, and they did.
9-10 When the host tasted the water that had become wine (he didn’t know what had just happened but the servants, of course, knew), he called out to the bridegroom, “Everybody I know begins with their finest wines and after the guests have had their fill brings in the cheap stuff. But you’ve saved the best till now!”
11 This act in Cana of Galilee was the first sign Jesus gave, the first glimpse of his glory. And his disciples believed in him.
The first thing that Jesus teaches us about how to do "new beginnings" is right at the beginning of our passage - “Three days later.”
What happened three days earlier? If we read John 1, we find Jesus calling his disciples. He teaches us that the first thing we have to do on our New Beginning is to pick our team. Don’t try to do this New Beginning on your own!
What happens next? His mother tells him that the wine has run out. Despite a bit of an argument about it, he decides to do something about it. Here, Jesus is teaching us to listen to others, especially elders and mentors, people with more experience than we have. Jesus also demonstrates that it’s OK to challenge what they say; the exchange helps us to think about it. Sometimes elders and mentors challenge us to take a risk. They push us to go a little further than we might go on our own.
This interaction with his mother also shows us the third step: identify the need. This is when we decide exactly what we want to do in our New Beginning. Identifying the need is how we find the desire to stick with it.
What’s your New Beginning? Going to medical school? Serving in your community? Getting through a challenging day?
Notice that what Jesus does in his first miracle is something that he and his mother have decided is possible. It is specific, achievable and time-bound. (There is no point turning the water into wine after the wedding is over, right?)
What happens next? Jesus speaks to everyone who is participating in this miracle. Fill the pots with water. Now fill your pitchers and take them to the host. We learn here to issue clear instructions to everyone involved.
I love the sentence at the very end of our passage: And his disciples believed in him. See how succeeding at this first thing in his ministry gets his team on side with whatever he plans to do next?
Jesus has a lot to teach us about goal setting, teamwork and succeeding at our New Beginning, whatever it may be. He's the perfect Project Manager and he gives us very clear steps to emulate:
Pick your team.
Listen to others, especially elders and mentors. It’s OK to challenge them.
Identify the need. Make sure your goal is specific and time bound. Start with something you can succeed at.
Issue clear instructions to everyone involved.
Please join us on Sunday in the Dogwood Room to dive deeper into the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. There's more for you to find in this passage; Jesus just might be equipping you to perform a miracle!
Susan
Image by Andi Sidwell, Flickr
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