Any Final Words?

On Mothers Day 2019, I had the privilege of worshiping with the local Manassas Biker Church. There are probably a lot of Christians who would hesitate to worship with a group of hard-core bikers. We tend to hang with people who look like us, talk like us, and do the same kinds of things we like to do. Bikers are no different, and that, in itself, makes THEM a bit different.

Many
congregants gather in what we used to call their “Sunday best.” If you’re a
biker, your Sunday best is often a leather vest and a dew rag. Biker churches
are the quintessential “come as you are” people. That’s one of the reasons I
enjoy worshiping with them so much.

Not Tailored for Bikers

My
sermon was one that could be delivered to virtually any congregation. It was
not tailored for bikers and was entitled, “Do Whatever He Tells You.” The title
was a direct quote from Mother Mary (the mother of Jesus). It was specifically
a Mothers Day sermon (easily done when you’re preaching about the Mother of
God). The biker community has this in common with all other congregations—many
of them are mothers, and each of them had a mother.

You may recognize the setting of Mary’s words. It’s in the context of the wedding at Cana. Jesus, his Mom, and his newly called disciples were invited. The reception was probably a few days into the event (wedding celebrations were a much bigger deal then) when they ran out of wine—a definite no-no.

When
Mary discovered their plight, she turned to Jesus for help. He resisted, and
told her his time had not yet come. Presumably, he was talking about going
public with his ministry. If he helped them out (particularly in the way he was
about to do so), he would not longer be a secret Messiah. Everything would be
out in the open.

She Put Him on the Spot

Mary, being a typical Jewish mother, was having none of that—Savior or not. After all, he was still her son. She turned to the servants and uttered the historic words, “Do whatever he tells you.” I’m guessing she was pointing at Jesus when she spoke. His own mother put him on the spot. I presume some of you have had a similar experience along the way. He could either defy his Mom, or he could jump into the fray. I’m thinking that defying his Mom was not in his spiritual DNA.

Despite his belief that his time had not yet come, his Mother’s wishes took precedence. Chances are, like a lot of us, he heard his Heavenly Father speaking through his earthly Mother. The Bible doesn’t say that, but I’ve no doubt the Lord does that a lot—maybe even to his Incarnate Son.

One of
the most interesting things about this passage is the fact that, “Do whatever
he tells you,” are the last recorded words of Mary in Scripture. As it turns
out, these are words we can all live by.

[Dave Zuchelli is a graduate of
Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and currently resides in Aldie, VA.]

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