When Jesus turns the water into wine, the master’s reaction isn’t about the act of the miracle, but that the wine-from-water is good wine. That it’s not bad wine. He is shocked that the good wine is served after wedding attendees have had some wine (maybe a little too much wine, too).
A while later (20 years or so), Jesus and his disciples are walking to Sidon and are being bothered by a Canaanite woman. She is looking for Jesus to heal her daughter. After telling the woman that He has not come for the dogs, He heals her daughter because of her faith. As a Gentile woman, Jesus’ healing goes around even his own initial plans and reaches to all people immediately (brings up the idea of Jesus changing plans, which touches predestination and…all kinds of things for another day).
See the parallel between these two (let alone the idea that we are the whore bride of Christ)? Christ’s first act of declaring his identity goes directly against the norm. He doesn’t waste any time. Him turning all expectations upside down isn’t a new concept, but the fact that it’s in every single thing He did is electrifying. What is He telling us?
The master of the house is shocked that the good wine is served last because, let’s be honest, the wedding guests have already had a lot to drink. They’re already drunk so they can’t taste just how good the wine is. They can’t appreciate it. Jesus’ miracle tells us they can. That even to a drunk person, the wine of Christ is sweet enough to make a difference for them.
Same thing with the woman, even the smallest of crumbs, the slightest direction from Him, is enough to bring peace and health to the home.
It’s everywhere, and the rabbit hole goes deep. Even focusing on just the John passage shines light on so many sides of His personality and how he works.
Despite this, even though I can see that He doesn’t operate how I expect and in fact, the opposite of what I expect, I get frustrated at how He’s not satisfying my needs how I need him to. I am trying to trust that He’s taking care of me in ways I don’t know I need to be taken care of, but because it’s not how I expect, I struggle.
I am the whore bride who doesn’t feel like she’s good enough. I am the surprised master who misses the point. I am trying to have the faith and boldness of the Canaanite woman.
