The Wedding Feast at Cana

The Lectionary passage for today is the wedding feast at Cana from John 2:1-11. One of the lines in this passage is “Do whatever he tells you.” Mary, mother of Jesus, is telling the servants to listen to Jesus’s instructions, in preparation for the feast.

This is often an overlooked line in Protestant circles, but that doesn’t make it any the less important. My reading of this passage, in light of our Presbyterian and Reformed beliefs, is that Mary is telling us to follow in the footsteps of the Lord. This text is specific to a wedding, but Mary’s point remains and should guide us in later readings of the Gospel and the teachings of Christ.

For me, that means living out the greatest commandments, loving the Lord your God and loving your neighbor as yourself, every single day.

Christ calls us to love God and love everyone. We are all created in the image of God and are therefore deserving of each other’s love and dignity. “Do whatever he tells you,” is the fullness of this message. We cannot ignore or hide from our calling as disciples of Christ. Each of us is called to show God’s love to one another, to love the Lord, and to care for one another. It doesn’t mean we can’t respectfully ask questions or seek clarification, far from it. The disciples themselves were famous for doing just that. “Do whatever he tells you,” in my reading, tells us to remain rooted in the core tenets of Christianity, love of God, and love of others.

We’re seeing so much division these days–hatred, injustice, and violence. “Do whatever he tells you,” isn’t just our calling, it is our imperative now more than ever, to show this kind of all-encompassing love, that Christ himself embodied to all people, each and every day.

Grace and Peace,

Nathaniel Fryer

Q: What does “Do whatever he tells you” mean in John 2:1–11?
A: It is Mary’s instruction to follow Jesus’ guidance, reminding Christians to live out Christ’s teachings by loving God and loving others in daily life.

Q: Why is the wedding at Cana important for Christians today?
A: The story shows Jesus’ first miracle and calls believers to trust Christ and follow his commands, especially the call to love God and neighbor.

Q: How does this passage relate to modern divisions and conflict?
A: It challenges Christians to respond to hatred and injustice with Christ’s all-encompassing love, dignity, and compassion for all people.