Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim.
What is easier to say: Fill the jars with water, or Bring your empty water jars? The water precedes the wine, but the emptiness precedes the water. I’ve often re-imagined this miracle like the miracle of the empty water jars. Half the battle is stating: I am empty. I’ve come up short. I ran out of… Jesus is still in the business of doing something out of nothing.
Mary, the mother of Jesus, knows a need when she sees one. She and Jesus, along with the disciples, had been invited to a wedding in Cana. “They have no more wine.”
The bride and the groom would be embarrassed. The guests would not be able to drink and celebrate. The best wine had been served and containers had run dry. People might murmur and begin to leave. Mary sets this miracle into motion and tells the servants: “Do whatever [Jesus] tells you.”
What is easier to say: Fill the jars with water, or Bring your empty water jars?
The water precedes the wine, but the emptiness precedes the water. I’ve often re-imagined this miracle as the miracle of the empty water jars. Half the battle is stating: I am empty. I’ve come up short. I ran out of… Jesus is still in the business of doing something out of nothing.
Bring your empty water jars that have no water. This is what precedes the miracle of transformation. To say: I have run out of love in this relationship. I have run out of vision in this business. I have run out of patience in this group. I have run out of compassion with the insurmountable needs around me. I am empty.
Herein lies the thin place where the miracle has room to take place. Here Jesus can step in and the Kingdom breaks in. Bring your emptiness. Bring your water jar to be filled up with water. Watch that water turn into wine. It’s a slow process. If you’re here for a quick wine, you will miss the gentle grace that comes with the empty in Jesus’ presence. Bring Jesus your empty water jars and do whatever Jesus says.
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