Fill the jars with water…
- John 2:7
Jesus' first recorded miracle seems odd; almost insignificant. He turned water in to wine at a wedding. In comparison to sea-walking, storm-calming with just a word, feeding thousands with a two fish happy meal, and raising a dead man… well, it pales. Unless you are the groom.
The groom was traditionally responsible for the wine, both its quantity and quality. Here is a man on the happiest day of his life. All should be smiles and celebration, but he has a sinking feeling and a knot in the pit of his stomach. He's been told the wine is running low and the reception is only half over. He (and his new bride) are about to suffer the ultimate in public humiliation.
"Fill the jars with water…" No one asked for Jesus' plan. They just did it. Six Gatorade sized wash jars are filled to the brim. "Now take it to the master of ceremonies." The MC's reaction? "Usually people serve the best first, then follow up with the cheap stuff when everyone is tipsy. You have saved the best for last!"
The miracle may seem insignificant - again, unless you are the groom. Only the servers, groom, Jesus, his mom and his little group even knew it took place. At face value, it is a very personal and pretty cool thing.
I don't want to stretch too far, but it is worth thinking on some of the biblical symbolism. Biblically, six is the number symbolizing man - created on the sixth day. Six also signifies incompleteness; seven being the number of completeness. It is not trivial that there were six stone jars that needed to be filled. Six common jars, used for common purposes, became the vessels of a miracle. Do you see where I'm going with this? You and I are common pots. In the hands Jesus, we can be the vessels of miracles.
It is significant that the jars were filled with what was on hand - water - and entrusted to Jesus. The water of the day was usually less than desirable. Jesus once said to a woman at a well in the heat of the day that he had "living water" that he would cause to spring up inside us. So again, common pots filled with common water… the result? The best wine.
Wine is symbolic in scripture of the Holy Spirit and newness. Jesus spoke of the new wine of the Spirit in Matthew 9. Jesus is still in the "water-to-wine" business.
In 1989 a bottle of Chateau Margaux, 1787, was on auction at a dinner in a fancy New York City event. It was at the time the most expensive bottle of wine ever. Each pour was valued at $37,500. However, no one ever tasted the Chateau Margaux. Its cork was never smelled or the first pour swilled; its merits and bouquet never pontificated. Instead, it was broken against a tray when being brought to the front of the room. The bottle, valued at nearly $400,000, and once owned by Thomas Jefferson, spilled out on the fancy New York City carpet.
We are common jars. By faith we are to fill ourselves with what we know, the best we know. And it still feels so very common. Then, at a time of God's choosing, we are poured out. And amazingly, he has produced in us a Chateau Margaux for others to taste and enjoy.
Like the groom of Cana, we sit back and smile in amazement. Because we know the vessels that winemakers will be trying to emulate in the future were just common wash jars. And the Chateau Margaux… it was just water.
But in the hands of Jesus…
God, In faith I will fill what I have with what I have, and I will leave the results to the Winemaker.
For now...
D
