Saturday, July 2
Wine and whip
Scripture: 1 Chronicles 4-6, John 2
Observation
I am struck by the contrast of the two events in John 2.
Jesus quietly saves a poor couple’s wedding celebration and then loudly clears the temple of profiteers.
The wine: When a young Jewish couple married, the celebration lasted as long as a week. They were treated like royalty; it was the best week of their lives. To run out of wine at your celebration not only spoiled the party, it was a social faux pas, a shame and embarrassment. Jesus quietly saved the party by miraculously supplying wine, not only in great quantity but great quality (“You’ve saved the best for last!”). Only Jesus, His disciples and mother, and the servants knew where the wine came from. The headwaiter didn’t, so it’s safe to assume that wedding party didn’t either. Jesus’ first miracle is an act of quiet kindness.
The whip: The Jewish temple was designed to be a place of worship for Jews and a place where Gentiles could seek God. But the space set aside for Gentiles had been turned into a noisy marketplace keeping the Gentiles from God, and the Jewish worship experience had been commercialized by cheating hucksters. Jesus was offended by both, and fashioned a whip and cleared the temple to restore it to its intended purposes. Zeal (passion, intense concern) for God’s house consumed Him!
From an act of quiet kindness to a very public display of zeal!
Application
I love that Jesus is capable of both quiet kindness and zealous action. I believe that means we should be too. Some of us who are all about quiet kindness need to add some zealous action to our repertoire; and those of us who are all about zealous action could add some quiet kindness. Wine and whip!
Prayer: I love you Jesus, and I I want to be more like You. Give me Your heart for God and people that produces quiet kindness and zealous action.