When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom.

  - John 2.9

Through such unaccustomed acts of government, when things reveal through the will and power of the Governor that which they do not accomplish as a part of their functioning day to day, there come about the miracles of which Scripture speaks.

  - Augustine Hibernicus, On the Miracles of Holy Scripture, Irish, 7th century[1]

The Irish who came to faith in Jesus Christ under the ministries of Patrick, Finnian, Coemgen, Ciarán, and the others were a superstitious lot.

Celtic pagan religion sported a pantheon of strange deities and lesser spiritual or semi-spiritual beings, all imbued with powers of magic that allowed them to perform wonders and beguile men. These were deities and spirits to be avoided or, at best, placated – not to be known, loved, and served.

The “Irish Augustine,” the anonymous monk who compiled the catalog from which today’s quote is lifted, was at pains in his exposition to insist that the power wielded by Christ was not magic at all. The magic with which Irish pagans were familiar was fickle and dangerous. The Irish Augustine did not want them to think of the works of Jesus Christ along these lines.

So he argued that the miracles of Christ represent the power of divine mind and will, working outside its “accustomed” manner of governing the world to make existing reality behave in an “unaccustomed” manner.

Typically, our monk explained, God rules and orders all things according to His providential will and power in observable patterns and predictable ways. The regularities of the creation – the rising of the sun, the coming of seasons, the blessings of crops, and the like – are all the result of divine providence. This is another way of saying that the “laws” of “nature” do not “rule” the creation, for no such “laws” exist; rather, creation is ruled by God and His Word and Spirit, Who rules all things with steadfast love and faithfulness so that His creatures can benefit from the blessings He intends.

The “laws” of “nature”, that is, do not define the workings of the cosmos; instead, they describe the workings of God.

Whenever, Augustine explained, God departs from this “accustomed” manner of providential governance, into an “unaccustomed” mode of rule, miracles occur. But miracles are neither whimsical nor ominous; they are rather the manifestation of the presence, goodness, power, and love of the eternal God, inviting us to consider His grace and rest in His power.

I like that way of thinking about miracles – “unaccustomed acts of governance” by God. I especially like it in thinking about this miracle of Jesus turning water to wine. Water, after all, is comprised of only two elements, hydrogen and oxygen. Wine has, well, let’s just say, a few more than that.

So from where did those other molecules come? Christ did not speak to the water, nor did He touch it – behaviors that accompany His other miracles.

Rather, in this miracle, it appears Jesus merely thought the additional molecules in place, either creating them out of nothing or summoning them from who-knows-where to change water into wine by the sheer power of His mind.

Even this particular miracle is an “unaccustomed” way of doing miracles. By it we may glimpse the power of the mind of Christ, and give Him praise and honor and glory.

Paul says we have the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2.16), and while we may not expect to call on that power to fetch a glass of merlot out of nothing, still, there is power resident within our minds waiting to inform, expand, and supercharge our thoughts, outlook, vision, dreams, plans, and ability to grasp – and gasp at – the truth of God.

We have the mind of Christ! The mind that turned water into wine! What might we dare to ask or think so that His power may be known in us (Eph. 3.20)?

The pagan Celtic world was trapped in a myth of capricious spirits and demanding deities which licensed licentiousness and power and made life a mystery of misery and despair for many. Today’s pagan society is trapped in a myth of chance and self-worship which licenses licentiousness and power, and makes life a mystery of misery and despair for many.

How might the people in your Personal Mission Field respond to some “unaccustomed” thinking and living on your part? Self-denying love seems like a miracle to many people today. But it’s only Jesus’ way of thinking about the world and working to restore miserable, despairing people to God.

We have the mind of Christ. Isn’t it time we began thinking and living in ways accustomed to Christ, though unaccustomed to our dying age?

Psalm 77.11-15 (Leoni: “The God of Abraham Praise”)
Now let us call to mind Your deeds and wonders, Lord,
And meditate on all Your works and praise Your Word.
Full holy is Your way great God of earth and heav’n;
To You, O God of strength and pow’r, all praise be giv’n!

Lord, may the grace of the Holy Spirit be upon me, that I may think with the mind of Christ and live with His power. Adapted from “Cétnad N-Aíse”

Help us grow The Ailbe Community
We hope you’ll share the resources of The Fellowship of Ailbe with your friends. Forward Crosfigell to them and encourage them to sign-up to receive it three times a week. Send a link to the website, www.ailbe.org, and ask your friends to have a look. Send them a PDF that has been particularly helpful to you (to see all the free PDFs available, click here).

Here’s a place to start. Download the Personal Mission Field worksheet (click here). Copy it on two sides of a single sheet, and fold it into a trifold brochure. Work through the instructions, then begin praying for the people in your Personal Mission Field with the mind of Christ. Then make copies for several of your friends. Challenge them to work through it and agree to meet from time to time to share about and pray for progress in seeking the Kingdom in your Personal Mission Fields.

We’re working to build an online community of like-minded, Kingdom-seeking believers – people who truly want to realize more of the presence, promise, and power of the Kingdom. You can help us by your prayers for our ministry and by encouraging others to have a look and get involved.

Thanks for sharing with us in this ministry.

T. M. Moore, Principal
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All Psalms for singing from The Ailbe Psalter. Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved