What Kind of Jesus Do We Want?
Now there were six stone waterpots set there for the Jewish custom of purification, containing twenty or thirty gallons each. Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water … When the headwaiter tasted the water which had become wine … [he] called the bridegroom and said to him, “Every man serves the good wine first, and when the people have drunk freely, then he serves the poorer wine; but you have kept the good wine until now.”
—John 2:6–7, 9–10 (NASB, 1995)
Many of us come to Jesus with an expectation that He will value what we value, and if we follow Him, He will bless us, prosper us, and meet the temporary needs we have in this life. Jesus knows we have temporary needs and can provide abundantly. In fact, the passage above speaks of both the quantity of the wine and the quality of the wine.
However, Jesus’ priority is our spiritual need. (The six pots Jesus had filled with water were for the Jewish custom of Mikveh, a ritual used for cleansing, purification, and transformation—symbol of His eternal mission of cleansing and purifying people from their sins.)
Remembering Jesus’ priority is essential, especially when Jesus doesn’t meet our perceived needs.
My counselor has a favorite phrase he uses when I’m facing a disappointment: “Think of this from a 30,000-foot view.” An irritating phrase that does little to provide comfort in the moment but is nonetheless true. When I’m in the middle seemingly endless difficult circumstances, it helps me to audibly give thanks for God’s provision in the past and remember that delays in mercy are not denials of prayer.
For anyone who has experienced a tragedy that forever changed your life, I say truthfully Why, How, and When Jesus chooses to intervene is often a mystery that we may not understand this side of Heaven.
Ultimately, the 30,000-foot view of Jesus’ promise that in the end He will wipe away every tear, make all things right, and grant eternal life gives little comfort in the moment. Nevertheless, during a life moment of shifting sand, it is a promise we know we can rely on, because He died, was buried, and raised from the dead three days later.
If this encouraged you, check out more articles from our Flatirons Spiritual Formation Team for practical tools, encouragement, and ways to grow in your faith and leadership. Click here.