Can You Serve at Your Friend’s Wedding?

Think about it. You’re at your best friend’s wedding, and like any typical Nigerian wedding, the number of guests that showed up at the reception far exceeds the amount the couple planned for. In fact, they seem uncountable – a far contrast from those present at the church ceremony. There are only a few hands available to help with serving. Too many mouths to feed; people complaining. Some guests even have the guts to snatch trays off the hands of the servers and serve themselves instead. It is a chaos. You can barely take it. So you leave your best man/maiden of honour position to join in the serving.

Gratefully, with your candour and fantastic organizational skills, you are able to calm the storm and get everyone settled. You feel proud of yourself. Four (plus x) years studying Chemistry at Obafemi Awolowo University and the two years spent abroad to earn Masters in Risk Management had paid off.

But the worst is yet to happen.

The drinks suddenly finished. Somewhere in the corner of your eye you can already see people choking under their food and glad to down the lump in their throat with some sachet water. Others are quizzing the servers about what happened to the soft drinks; some even threaten to walk up to the high table and snatch whatever drink they could lay their hands on. You quickly check the drums, nothing but ice water. You’re puzzled. How did the drinks finish so soon? They were meant to last the whole weekend!

Just then, the MC announces that the next item after the couple’s dance would be the chairman’s toast. The guests murmur under their breath if they were expected to raise glasses of water to toast. Something has to be done and fast.

Soon your friend’s Aunt, who is obviously worn out from the whole pressure, calls you to meet with her son. She claims he has the solution to the drinks problem. You take one look at him and wonder what she could possibly mean. This young man, a neighbourhood acquaintance of yours, didn’t come alone, he came with a dozen or so of his friends. Had he come without them, there would have been a lot more drinks available for the other guests. You also wonder if he runs a Coca-Cola depot nearby, where he could make a quick supply from, but you know too well that he is just an upstart preacher who claims to be something really big. To make matters worse, he doesn’t even look willing to help. You try to tell his mother not to bother, but before you could say a word, she was gone. Turning to face this young preacher, you hear him say:

“Take a cup from the ice water left in the drums and serve it to the chairman of the occasion. Before you get to him, the ice water will turn to wine. Tell him to taste the new wine before he takes the toast. Afterwards, you can serve what’s left in the drums to the guests.”

Now, my dear friend… sincerely, what would you do? Will you obey, or will your years of studying Chemistry and Risk Management generate a debate?

This story illustrates, in a modern fashion, the dilemma the servants in John 2 experienced at the Cana wedding. But it was easier for them to obey. In fact, I don’t think they questioned Jesus at all. Not because he was their boss, nor because He was a highly-esteemed guest, but simply because they were servants. They were trained to take orders and follow it without questioning the veracity of the boss’ idea.

It takes only a servant to obey God the way He desires to be obeyed.

Think about it. What has God asked you to do that you have thought impossible, or at least unreasonable? Whose reputation are you protecting, yours or God’s? Can you successfully do either or both?

Let him/her who has eyes read these things.

Selah!