Perspective altering faith.
25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
Luke 24:25-27 ESV
Even the disciples that lived with Jesus for three solid years weren’t sure what they were witnessing at the resurrection.
Even the two on the road to Emmaus could not interpret the burning in their hearts when Jesus, in veiled form, spoke to them.
The disciples were terrified when they saw Jesus, returned in the flesh, and they disbelieved at first.
Even when the all powerful Word became flesh, the “world did not know him” (John 1:10 ESV).
When Nathanael’s faith so quickly accepted Jesus as the Messiah, Jesus pointed out the strength of his faith.
And, when the servants dipped into the water jars and gave the sample to the master of the feast, they knew they were not in the presence of an ordinary man.
Faith must transcend sight. At times what we see might reinforce our faith, but faith must premeditate our interpretation of events. I can easily look back on my life, or evaluate a current circumstance through the lens of science, coincidence, or even human logic. These filters will at times have pieces of the truth.
In order for the disciples to finally put together all the puzzle pieces, for the crowd to bow in worship, for me to act against conventional wisdom, faith must first enter the picture. Some seem to pick it up naturally. Nathanael jumped there quickly when he recognized Christ’s prophetic perspective.
The servants that carried the water turned wine might have just acted without regard for the outcome of their actions, simply obeying the people in charge over them. And yet, I wonder the spark of marvel that exploded as they saw that water become the best wine. It reminds me of the time I saw a magician working a crowd gathered round a counter as he very obviously tucked two foam balls in a young person’s hand and closed it into a fist. A wave of the wand, and the audience’s contribution of the magic words, and the hand opened to reveal the balls had now doubled to four. The young person looked as if their hand had betrayed them. The fact that this miracle could happen while he had full control of the objects seemed impossible. And that was just slight of hand. Jesus altered the chemical makeup of the water without so much as a word or wand. The servants fully understood the magnitude of this transformation. That act had manifested the glory of Jesus, it stirred belief in his followers.
Whether faith erupts naturally, grows through years of fertilization, or blooms instantly from God’s direct intervention, faith remains an essential for following Christ.
Sovereign God, thank you for transforming my heart and perspective. Thank you for patiently leading and revealing yourself. Thank you for even going a step further when it should already be painfully obvious, and spelling out the truth of a situation or passage of Scripture. You meet me where I am and bring me to where I never thought possible. Thank you for your patience in love that creates me anew time and again. In Jesus name, amen.
Erin (6intow)
Sixty-six books in a year 