I saw two Bible passages close together.

Context
Continuing my reading in Luke, over the past two days I've read two accounts of Jesus performing miracles. The first is the healing of the centurion's slave (Luke 7:1-10 NRSV). The second is the raising of the son of the widow of Nain (Luke 7:11-17 NRSV).

Commentary
When I read the first of these passages, I thought, "man, I've got this Bible reading down!" The story completely supports an idea I've been exploring lately, that we get the God we expect. Like in the dear departed TV show Joan of Arcadia, where God says, "I come off snippy because you understand snippy." The centurion in the Bible story says, "I believe you can heal my slave because of my experience of how power works."

So Jesus heals the slave and praises the centurion for his faith. We get to see the trustworthy God, far more dependable in His dealings with us than vice versa.

But then we have the next story. The widow of Nain is expecting nothing from God. The story doesn't say whether she had any previous knowledge of Jesus' ministry, but I don't think it matters. Aside from the devastating reality of a woman losing her son, a widow without sons was completely without recourse in biblical times. She was, for all intents and purposes, as dead as her son. I doubt she spared a single thought for the man from Nazareth.

He thought about her, though. And raised her son from the dead. This is the God of surprising love. The Giver of unanticipated, sometimes even unwanted gifts.

It cannot be a coincidence (because I don't believe in them) that these stories are right next to each other in the Bible. I think it's important for us to realize that God will fulfill our worthy expectations and blow the others out of the water. He is the Rock that we can build on, but also Lord of all, and subject to no human whim or prediction.

What did you see today?