Disappointment happens when our expectations are not met. But in the story of Jesus turning the water into wine, Jesus exceeded all expectations. John 2:6-10 reads as follows,
“Standing nearby were six stone water jars, used for Jewish ceremonial washing. Each could hold twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus told the servants, ‘Fill the jars with water.’ When the jars had been filled, he said, ‘Now dip some out, and take it to the master of ceremonies.’ So the servants followed his instructions. When the master of ceremonies tasted the water that was now wine, not knowing where it had come from (though, of course, the servants knew), he called the bridegroom over. ‘A host always serves the best wine first,’ he said. ‘Then, when everyone has had a lot to drink, he brings out the less expensive wine. But you have kept the best until now!’”
The family’s expectation was to have just enough. But Jesus exceeded their expectation in two ways. First, he exceeded their expectation in terms of quantity. Six water pots each holding 20-30 gallons were filled to the brim. A little simple math would reveal a yield of 120-180 gallons of wine, which would have been ample supply for the remainder of the celebration. Jesus also exceeded their expectation in terms of quality. The testimony of the master of ceremonies was, “you have kept the best until now!”
It’s hard to imagine abundance in a scarcity economy. I believe that was true then and is true today. But Jesus does not operate out of scarcity. He is the abundant God. When we experience disappointment, our natural tendency is to lower the bar in an attempt to protect ourselves from further hurt. It stands to reason that the higher the expectation, the higher the risk of disappointment. So what is one to do? Play it safe? Or live by faith? I guess the answer depends on whether you prefer scarcity or abundance.
Tomorrow I’ll finish up this series of posts on disappointment with a final word from the beginning of the story.
