To the Brim

We're working through the Gospel of John, this week I'm not preaching due to getting married, so I'm trying to take advantage of the time and get a week ahead on sermon prep. Each week the sermon writing process begins with repetitive reading of the text, and writing down things I notice, questions I have, insights that God gives me. My mentor told me, "Don't make the mistake of consulting commentaries too soon. Once you look at one, you don't know what is you and what is someone else."

The next text I'm working with is John 2.1-12, the first miracle of water into wine. It takes place at a wedding in Cana of Galilee, fitting for my current life situation. Reading the text several times I noticed the three words at the end of verse 7.

"Jesus said to them, 'Fill the water pots with water.' So they filled them up to the brim."

Mary, it's thought that she was possibly the wedding coordinator since she is handling the issue of no more wine, tells Jesus of the issue. She then tells the servants to do whatever He says. There are six stone water pots that each hold twenty to thirty gallons of water. And then Jesus says, fill them with water. They do, they fill them to the brim. They put as much water into these jars as they can. They give Jesus as much as they can for Him to work with.

They had no idea what Jesus would do, John 2.11 tells us that this is the first miracle Jesus has ever performed. Three years later they would have expected something like this, but not now. Now He is just a simple carpenter from Nazareth. He hasn't fed the 5,000 yet; He hasn't healed a leper or restored the sight of a blind man. He hasn't driven out a demon or given a dead man back his life, right now He is just a man who said, "Fill these with water."

The servants didn't hold back, they filled them to the brim. Getting water wouldn't have been easy, they would have had to either take the water pots to a well, or get water from the well in a smaller jar and carry it back several times to fill these pots. Regardless, it's a lot of work. But they don't slack off, they don't hold back. They put as much water as these pots will hold in them.

How often do we go to the brim? With our time, how often do we make God a priority and truly focus on Him during our prayer and devotional time? With our money, do we give exactly what God requires to the cent,($231.73 an example), or do we fill it to the brim?

God always does His best. We read that the wine Jesus makes is the best wine. We see this with every miracle. Jesus always does the best. People who receive healing and healed fully. When Jesus makes food to feed the multitude, there is extra left over to provide for His followers. Jesus went to the cross and died there. He took the beating, carried the cross, and hung on it for hours. Jesus always fills the water pot to the brim. Why don't we? Why do we hold back form the one who has given us so much?

When Jesus says "Fill this pot" fill it to the brim. Give Him your best, He deserves it because He always gives us His best.

Peace be with you