Water to Wine

Jesus’ first miracle is, to me, His most human one. The magnitude of it hit me over breakfast one day, and frankly I don’t think I ever got back to my scrambled eggs. I was all at once astounded by its uniqueness. Healing, forgiveness, redemption, encouragement– all godly in every way from their impossibility to their primary target on the soul. Even physical healing is ultimately a metaphor for a deeper healing and usually leads to as much. But the changing of this water, while it is itself a beautiful metaphor, was simple and human-minded. That, to me, is where its beauty lies for several reasons. First, it shows that God cares about human customs. Typically the good wines were served first, and they eventually gave way to the lower quality wines, essentially signaling that the party was wrapping up. God chose to turn this custom on its head and the wine that Jesus transformed was impressive enough to draw praise.

Here is where it really gets good: this also shows that God both aware of and interested in what makes something delicious. THIS is the God I serve– one who bothers to make something enjoyable for enjoyment’s sake. The man’s statement that the best wine was saved for last shows this. And honestly all it had to be was wine– it didn’t, for the miracle’s sake, have to even be good because the party was drawing to an end. But this top-shelf wine demonstrated His attention to details– OUR details. How could anyone reject God’s detailed involvement in our lives when He is so clearly concerned with some very human nuances?

I cannot help but also dwell on the fact that Jesus, God in the flesh, knew how to make wine. This is, of course, ridiculous since God knows all that can be known, period. But really think about that. In making instant wine, He proved His ultimate power over the state of a thing, yes, but also the process of changing a thing. Grapes go from seed to bottle and this takes a long time and God did it in an instant. This tells me that He is in charge of the long-term method as well. Why should He be praised any less for traditional wine that miracle wine? Truth is, He shouldn’t (We should remember this when our prayers aren’t answered in our timeframe– He can do it in whatever time He wants and, fast or slow, the praise is His).

Additionally, I think of Mary. First off, what was she thinking? She gives no indication of what she expects, and she has no miracles to base her belief in, necessarily, but she suddenly jumps in and says that her son can take care of it. She must have gotten some rotten looks. And remember: Jesus initially told His mom no, and she pushed as moms do when they know it’s a good idea. At that moment He could have defensibly held His ground since He was, as God usually is, right. He could have refused, and think of how the scene would have played out: Mary, having already made the insinuation that Jesus could help them with their catering issue, standing there with her foot in her mouth and Jesus leaving her hanging. Embarrassed? I think so. All eyes were on Jesus, everyone wondering what Mary believed would happen. How gentle of Jesus to choose to concede, to go ahead on her urging, and to perform this tiny huge miracle even though His “time had not yet come.” How loving to do as He was asked and with such excellence. It is such a window into His character: that He listens, that He considers circumstances, that He cares what we are facing, and the He can be persuaded.

THIS is the God I serve.

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~ by bethanyhope on February 22, 2010.