Tag Archives: brother’s keeper

Is it our problem when people are about to embarrass themselves? (John 2:4)

Today’s Podcast


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  1. Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
  2. Is it our problem when someone forgets or miscalculates or does something that will cause them embarrassment? Jesus asked that questions, and then answered it with actions instead of words.
  3. Scripture
    1. John 2:4
    2. Jesus:  Dear woman, is it our problem they miscalculated when buying wine and inviting guests? My time has not arrived.
  4. Devotional
    1. So what do you think about Jesus’ conversation with His mother?
      1. I would have been slapped silly or told “wait til your father gets home!”
      2. Feminists cringe at His language
      3. Have a hard time getting past the way Jesus addresses His mother
      4. Different day and time
      5. Jesus was an adult male in a male dominant society
      6. Mary addressed Him in public which was pretty taboo in His culture
      7. Gentle but reminded her of the culture, Dear woman!
    2. Let’s get past the address between Jesus and Mary and look at the next piece
      1. Is it our problem they miscalculated?
      2. Is it our problem they ran out of wine?
      3. Is it our problem they can’t get their act together?
      4. Is it our problem they will embarrass themselves in front of all these guests?
      5. Reminiscent of Cain’s question to God, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Do I need to be responsible for him? Do I need to bail him out when he’s in trouble? Do I need to be accountable for his actions as well as my own?
    3. You might think Jesus brushes her off with His comments to His mother, but she knows Him well.
      1. We know the rest of the story
      2. First miracle
      3. Mary tells the servants to do whatever Jesus tells them to do
      4. She is confident He will take care of the wine problem
      5. She is confident He will keep the host from embarrassment
      6. She is confident He will take care of the needs He finds around Him
    4. What lessons should we learn from Jesus’ encounter
      1. Don’t address your mother the way He did, that was a cultural difference your mother will probably not tolerate, nor should she in this country and this time
      2. Like Mary, we should be sensitive to the needs of those around us
      3. Like Mary, we should take those issues to Jesus whether we created the problem or not
      4. We can help others learn from their miscalculations, but we can also help and keep them from embarrassment, failure or worse
      5. Jesus shows us we are our brothers’ keepers
    5. Go do something good for someone today
  5. If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved. In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.