The abundant grace that Jesus unleashes on the wedding celebration in Cana in the form of wine is a joy-filled surprise for the steward, the servants who assist Jesus, and even Jesus’ own disciples. Through this first sign in John’s gospel, Jesus shows how the power of God comes into the very ordinary events of life and transforms them into something unexpected, surprising, and grace-filled!

The writer, Debie Thomas, points out that this abundant grace is unleashed because Mary notices, “they have no wine.” For whatever reason, Mary sees what’s going on behind the scenes and she articulates the need.

Thomas writes that Mary’s words in John 2 are “a prayer of intercession for a world that is not okay. ‘They have no money.’ ‘She has no health insurance.’ ‘He has no friends.’ ‘I have no strength.’ Mary’s line is a line I repeat daily, in endless iterations for myself and others. It’s a line that insists on the mysterious power of telling God the truth.”

In taking on our flesh in Jesus, God desired to know our human truth and to show us the abundance and promise of God’s grace upon grace come to life. And so in the face of a world where the desire for God’s abundance and promise to be made visible is ever present, we can begin by insisting on the mysterious power of telling God the truth.

What is the truth you long to speak to God?

God’s time is not our own and simply telling God the truth does not mean that God will resolve the issue as we would see fit. But Jesus’ first sign in John’s gospel suggests that unleashing God’s abundance and promise on this hungry, thirsty, and joy-starved world begins with telling God the truth of what we see. And then being prepared to serve the one who is God’s Word made flesh, trusting that God’s abundant grace upon grace is a promise on which we can depend.