Day 35: Fill the jars with water
It was the third day of the wedding celebration and the whole town had gathered for feasting and celebrating. Jesus, laughing and breathless from dancing the traditional dance with all the men of the village, slid onto the bench next to John and reached for his cup of wine, draining it in one gulp. Looking up, his mother caught his eye and motioned him to join her. Still smiling, he made his way toward her. She looked concerned. Leading him to where all the food was being prepared, she whispered that the host had run out of wine. Jesus knew that would be a terrible way to lose face in the village. He pursed his lips and looked around at the servants who Mary had authoritatively told to follow his instructions. Every face had a quizzical expression. Who is this guy? What could he possibly do to help them?
Jesus looked around and noticed the large jars used for ceremonial washing. The water had gotten low because all the guests had used it to wash. Looking around at the worried faces, he motioned to the six jars and said gently,
“Fill the jars with water.”
The servants looked at each other and back at Jesus. No one moved. With more urgency in his voice, Jesus pointed at the jars, “Fill the jars with water.” This was going to take a while, and the servants had so much going on. Reluctantly, they started going to the well at the back of the property and bringing back buckets of water to fill the jars. Maybe Jesus checked on them once in a while to encourage them. Maybe they quickened their pace so they could get back to their other duties. There was some muttering and discussion about how this exercise was complete foolishness. What did the water have to do with the lack of wine? When the jars were full, the head servant found Jesus and let him know. Speaking low into his ear, Jesus said, “Draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” The servant looked at Jesus in shock. Jesus smiled with a twinkle in his eyes and nodded, motioning him on.
Dipping a ladle into the first ceremonial jar, the head servant, surrounded by the others, tentatively took a sip of the water they had just put in the jar. Not wanting to embarrass himself in front of the master of the banquet, he wanted to confirm what he was serving up! His eyes grew wide, and he almost dropped the ladle as he sputtered in delight, trying to show the others the color of the water, which was now a deep red. How could it be? The water had become wine! Just to make sure, he tested all six jars. Hardly able to contain his glee, he quietly took a sample to the master of the banquet. Not only was it wine, but the master declared it was great wine! The head servant grinned at Jesus across the courtyard who was laughing, again, with his disciples.
(Taken from John 2:1-10 NIV)
Vineyard Metaphor
Have you ever considered that wine always begins as water?
The water that is drawn up into the vine through the roots, together with the sugars that are a by-product of photosynthesis, feed the grapes, transforming the hard green berries into beautiful, sweet fruit. The fruit is harvested by the vineyard workers and made into wine under the watchful direction of the winemaker. Each person that cares for the vine, harvests the fruit, and makes the wine is part of the process which moves water to wine. Working in a vineyard or a winery is hard work, especially at harvest, and the end of harvest celebrations are always filled with the joy of accomplishment and teamwork.
Competent and secure vineyard workers are critical to the long-term success of any winery. The level of care and craft needed to make good wine is incredible. Winery owners who wish to sustainably make good wine must invest in their workers over time, helping them to develop their skills and paying them a living wage. Interestingly, one of the three metrics for sustainability in the wine industry is equity. A winery must have policies and practices in place that ensure equity for all the workers in order to achieve the coveted seal of a Sustainable Winery.
Reflection and Meditation
Isn’t it interesting that Jesus deals directly with the workers, the servants, instead of going to the host or the master of the banquet? In this extravagant miracle, not only does Jesus model humility, he honors the lowly workers by inviting them to participate in the work of transforming water into wine. The servants did the hard work of filling the jars, and Jesus worked the miracle of turning it into roughly 760 bottles of wine. Now, that’s a party! Jesus could easily have zapped the jars full of wine all by himself, but he chose to invite others to participate.
Take a moment to consider how Jesus has invited you, in the work that you do, to participate in the miracle of the Grand Story of redemption.
Perhaps some days you feel as if your work is lowly and you are “hauling water” for no good reason. Talk to God about your feelings of discouragement.
Now, reflect on any moments where God used you or your work to bring about transformation or redemption. Do you remember the joy you felt?
Can you see the eyes of Jesus twinkling as he invites you to participate in his plan for deepest joy?
Rest and be thankful.
“Your vocation in life is where your greatest joy meets the world’s greatest need.”