John Chapter 2 - The Savior's first miracle and the money changers in the temple.

            My scripture reading in John Chapter 2 this week left me with several things to ponder over.  First of all, the miracle of Jesus turning the water into wine was very impressive for several reasons.  I found it very tender that the Savior’s first miracle that He ever performed was for His mother.  I also was impressed by his willingness to do anything that His mother asked Him to do.  It is clear that He loved His mother very much and that He wanted to show that love by serving her. 

            When Jesus referred to his mother as “woman,” that was not disrespectful back then, even though it is today.  On the contrary, it is Jesus showing His mother the utmost respect by acknowledging that she is the one who gave birth to Him.  It was a good example to me of how I need to show love and respect to my own mother the way that the Savior did to His.

            In John Chapter 2 Verses 13-16, Jesus casts out the money changers from the temple.  In The Journal of Discourses Volume 7 on November 13^th, 1859, John Taylor explained: “Jesus amazed them by teaching them good principles, by telling them of their evils, exposing their iniquities, and telling them that they were whited walls and painted sepulchers. But it was the truth. They did not wish to hear it: they loved darkness rather than light. That was the kind of feeling and state of things then, and it is the same now. Truth has precisely the same effect now that it had then, and I presume it always will have. And if they will have done these things in the green tree, what will they do in the dry?”

            John Taylor’s remarks really made me think about the state of the world today.  Gospel truths, such as marriage between a man and a woman, are things that people do not want to hear about.  They love darkness rather than light and truth.  I have a profound respect for our church leaders for standing up for what is right and true, no matter what is the popular thinking of the time.  I believe that we can all do our part to help shine the light of truth to the world as well by living our lives in a manner which is pleasing to the Savior.