A Report on the Parable of Power
Introduction
Food and fest, glam and glory, wedding and wine. The first miracle that Jesus did is so simple yet remarkable. Andy Crouch in his book Playing God discusses the concept of power in The Wedding Wine story. The writer is going to evaluate this exploration chapter with the commentaries on John 2 to see the message and application behind the passage.
Basically, according to Burge (2003, p. 90) the core message of this story when Jesus turns water into wine is “the old has gone, the new has come”. The New Testament also talks about how once ones receive Christ, they are not the same anymore. There is this power that makes the old goes and the new comes. They are new creation in Christ, changed, different, transformed. What is the source of this power? Is this the form of miracle? Or is it simply a process, combined with power and time, to make such a difference? Analysing this concept against two secular books, The Secret and The Empowered Mind, the writer aims to dig deeper about power and miracle.
The Wedding in the Chapter
Crouch (2013, p. 104) starts the exploration chapter by defining the grand pattern of creation as “good, to very good, to glory”. He states that creation is good, but human as God’s image bearers are very good, because we have that ability to cultivate and unfold potential. Therefore, we can make something good to very good. Nature is good, then add some creativity and care, it becomes culture which is very good. Grain is good, then add some power and process, it becomes bread which is very good. Just like egg and omelette, tree and wooden chair, sound and music, they become very good by human intelligence and intentionality. One step ahead, it leads to glory.
Grape is the best example for this. Crouch mentions about how grapes are good, and when they become wine, they can be very good, and “the right grapes, at the right time, in the right hands” can become glory. Relating this to the story of Jesus when he attended a wedding in Cana, Crouch (2013, p. 106) says that miracles are beyond power itself, working not like how this world works. Therefore the miracle Jesus performed in the wedding reveals the true meaning of power. He first states that Mary, using her power as a mother, stating indirectly what she wanted through the fact, that “they have no wine”. In this case, believing that she had the authority and Jesus would honour her, she didn’t need to request or command.
According to Crouch, Jesus replied by emphasizing that the assumptions of power and authority did not apply because Jesus was here to fulfil His mission under higher authority and that he himself had that higher authority than his mother. Yet, Mary seemed to know what Jesus would do since she told the servants to do what Jesus asked them to do, and Jesus did exactly what Mary believed he would do.
Therefore, Crouch emphasizes that there are several things to be concluded from this miracle about Jesus’ power. First, his power does not “flow through predictable channels”. He was not bound by anything: custom, law, etc. However, what Jesus did here in Cana shows “the pattern of social life: marriage, hospitality, celebration, and honouring parents”. This means that through the first miracle, Jesus touches the closest, simplest thing among us. His power restores “family and feasting”. He shows how to bless by honouring parents, showing hospitality to guests, etc. Second, his power reveals glory. It reveals Jesus’ true identity and the ultimate truth of his mission, “to make all things new”. Through the miracle of the wine, Jesus shows that he is more than expected. This miracle that reveals glory happened in the wedding which is a moment of glory, too, because it is the sign of “the magnificence of love” between man and woman, united by God.
Third is his power is abundant. The wine is more than needed, showing how God always provides abundantly. Forth is that his power is hidden as it is revealed. It does not bring him to the centre of attention and put him on the spotlight, yet it reveals his glory. Crouch mentions that true power in the world sometimes is invisible, but the effects can be seen and celebrated, and the credit goes to somewhere else, but God is behind everything.
Finally, he concludes that this story is just not about wine, it is the sign of something deeper. “The third day” becomes something special, since Jesus also was risen on the third day, the day where true power overcame and his glory was revealed. Then why would we settle for anything less, the rhetorical question ends his statement.
The Wine in the Passage
Wedding is a very important celebration in the past and present. According to Burge (2000, p. 88), John uses the cultural and religious theme as the backdrop of his presentation about Jesus. It gives clearer insight about Jesus’ personhood, yet it carries a deeper meaning.
When Mary mentioned about wine, Jesus said that his time is not yet to come, which means that it looks forward to Jesus’ important work on the cross. So Jesus will act on behalf not of this wedding but the entire world. His death on the cross will provide more than wine. However, Jesus indicates that he will act since his mother directs the servant to obey him. The six stone jars that becomes the source of new wine is not only for holding water. Stone jars represent Jewish purification washing. Then they can hold large volume of wine, about 120 gallons (Burge, 2000, p. 92).
It is said that the wine is superior to before, means this is the sign that reveals something hidden before. This is not merely acts of power and might, but they unveil that God is a work in Jesus and indeed is present in him (Twelftree, 1999, p. 195).
It shows how God cares about our simplest problem, not just about saving souls and renewing lives. John is telling something about Judaism and history. The arrival of Messiah shows something unparalleled is happening in the world. The wine also recalls many prophetic words that God’s arrival and blessing are seen particularly in an abundance of wine in the land. Now God’s glory becomes visible in human form (Burge, 2000, p. 102).
Longman & Garland (2007, p. 385), also explains that “sign” was used by John to describe Jesus’ self-manifestation in his works. Wedding in the first century is a feast that can last as long as a week. Wine was a basic commodity in the ancient world. When the supply runs short, the host can be embarrassed. In contrast, some scholars do not think that Mary expects Jesus to perform miracle. Mary just went to Jesus because she knew how resourceful he is and it is natural for a mother to do so. It is also believed that Mary did not grasp the full intent of what Jesus just said because she instructs the servants to do what Jesus would tell them, then Jesus did it anyway. They also have speculation that actually Jesus only pretends that the water is the wine and people believe it because they have been too drunk.
The use of wine also illustrate human’s relationship to God as quoted from William Temple (Longman & Garland, 2007, pp. 388), that it becomes more and more satisfying with the passage of time. Just like marriage, the older should be the sweeter, because it has passed the challenge of time and process. The miracle Jesus performed was the first of his miraculous sign, which means the mighty work of Jesus, act of power. Jesus reveals glory and leads his disciple to put their faith in him. However, the third day here is simply the day after tomorrow. There are some metaphorical references. Lack of wine is the symbol of Jewish laws that fails to meet the deeper needs of humanity. Six jars is one less than perfect number seven. The jars each held twenty to thirty gallons shows abundance supply of grace (p. 389).
Basically these two commentaries have some similar views, one of them is that Jesus provides in abundance. However, there are a lot of significant differences as well, which do not support Crouch’s statement on how people are aware of their power and how to use it. There is one point missing from this story of miracle and power, it is obedience. As stated by Spurgeon (1992, pp. 93-95), this story teaches people on obedience to God before He performs miracle.
The World in the Books
The Secret is a book that talks about “law of attraction”, which means that everything comes from the power of thought. Bryne (2006, pp. 1-27) says that people need to know the secret to have and be anything they want. People throughout the history have discovered and used this secret. She believes that we all work with one infinite power. It is the same law for everyone, one power, one law, attraction. Everything that comes to our life is attracted by the virtue of images people are holding in their mind. So it is what they are thinking, that thought is the force. This law also appears in all religions throughout the history.
When people focus their thoughts on something they want, and they hold that focus, they are in the moment summoning what they want with the mightiest power in the universe. It works like Genie from the magic lamp. Genie is our law of attraction (p. 60) that will fulfil our wish. People do not need to know how, because the universe will do it for them.
In other words, people are in control of their own destiny and life, which is actually in line with the concept of “free will of choice”. People are believed to be able to create their own miracle, the impossible, by the power of their thought. Trench (1949, pp. 5-12) defines miracle as power or mighty works through the “Divine Messenger” equipped by God, referring to Christ. Miracle can immediately working, or establish to work. It is not nature, but not against it. It is beyond, and above nature. If so, it can be said that human has this ability to perform miracle. Surely, human are miracle themselves, and optimizing one core part of the body created by God to achieve what they want and to have a good life is rational.
According to Bryne (2006, p. 71-92), there is a pattern of this method. Ask, believe, and receive. She quotes scriptures too, from Matthew 21:22 and Mark 11:24 that when we pray, believe that we already receive it, and we will receive it. There are the powerful processes of gratitude (to be grateful for what we have and we will get more), visualization (to create the picture of us enjoying and feeling that we already get it), and action (to make it a habit). This also influences all areas in our lives, including wealth, health, and relationship. They teach people to be generous with money, give so that they will receive more, to love themselves and love people, to know that laughter is the best medicine disease is held in the body by their thoughts. Basically, they can receive all things they want because this universe offers abundance.
These methods to increase wealth, health, and relationship are actually what the Bible teaches us. Give more, and God will bless more, because there is blessing in giving. Live happily, happy heart is the best medicine, do not resent and keep bitterness because it will make people sick, love people just like people love themselves, care for them like Jesus cares. They are basically the same, that we have and ought to use this power in us to have a “good life”, since good life is associated with being wealthy, healthy, and happy.
In The Empowered Mind, Scott (1994, pp. 1-11) mentions the technique of using “creative force”, which is the inner power in people’s mind both to get what they want and to feel more satisfaction. Scott claims that she has used this technique for more than twenty years in her life and that everyone can do this. It is just tapping the power that they haven’t used or fully developed, to be, do, and enjoy the best. She gives the examples of how she can do the things that she believes she cannot do before, in this case, the impossible. This technique will make the readers feel more powerful, gain more confidence, develop personal identity and purpose, be satisfied and get more enjoyment by focusing energy for optimum functioning, maximise their talents, designing the person they want to be, becoming smarter by sharpening their intellectual powers, increasing power of perception and awareness, making better decision, turning problems into possibility, and optimizing relationship. So, all they need is to develop and pay attention to make it powerful.
All these methods focus on the power in human self and how to use it right in order to achieve what human wants, a good life. Human are the ones who construct the definition of a good life, and they spend the whole life to live meeting that definition for self-satisfaction. Scott also mentions about how practicing intuitive technique makes her feel like having a magic Genie she can call forth whenever she needs help. When she can’t find answer with her logic then help will pop out, not only quick but also right (1994, p. 13). Isn’t this power known by Christian as the Holy Spirit? How he reminds people of scripture or memory they need at that time, gives wisdom beyond logic that is “not only quick but also right”.
Crouch, Burge, Longman & Garland, Bryne, and Scott, they talk about power and they believe that human have power and control over it. The secular views also believe that human has total control, but they need the universe to help them. They are talking about the same power and force in human’s life. Only, the source of power for them is the universe, which will conspire to support and provide what human need only by the power of their thought. It is dangerous to emphasize on how human can get what they want, because human’s intention and desire corrupt. On the other hand, the Christian views urge to use the power, yet it is important to surrender it to the source of the power, God himself. Crouch also mentions that “Jesus’ power is hidden as it is revealed” (2013, p. 111), which fits this concept of power by the universe. There is the source behind it.
Linking it to the concept of miracle, human are empowered by God to do miracle through the Holy Spirit, but miracle is a product of grace and faith. The secular view emphasizes on faith in self, but excludes grace, because the control 100% belongs to human. Referring back to Crouch’s rhetorical question, with the glorious power of God in this world, why would we settle for anything less? Is 100% power still less? Yes, because power can fail.
Conclusion
Power, along with process and time, turns something from good to very good, even to glory. With this power, comes miracle. However, the source of power and miracle are God, which will be given by grace, yet requires obedience as the step of faith. Some people believe that the source of power is the universe, and human as the ruler of the universe. Power is in human’s thought, and by recognizing and optimizing how to use it, there is no limitation to make impossible become possible. In other words, human can get what they want with their own power. However, it is still less than the source of power itself, God, because human’s intention and desire corrupt, and power can fail, but grace remains.
