To The Brim

Have you ever taken a cup, and filled the cup to almost overflowing? You know, that line at the very top, where, if you pour any more in it, some will spill out and putting more in would simply waste the water? Or maybe you filled a kiddie pool to the brim, and then jumped in the clear cool water. There is also something refreshing about drinking a glass of water that has been filled to the brim as well. Another example of this phenomenon is going to a drive-thru restraunt and order a water, or drink. My brother and I would want to get as much drink as we could for our money, so we would purposely order the drink with no ice. Have you done that before?

In the Bible there is just such a story as this. You can find it in John chapter 2. Jesus is invited to a wedding feast, and they run out of wine. For guests to run out of wine was a serious thing. It's no different today, when we don't have enough refreshments for our guests at a birthday party. Can you imagine running out of refreshments for the guests, or having to tell them: "I'm sorry, we don't have enough food for you." ? I would find it very embarrising and sad. I think that the people who were at this feast felt the same way. In particular, Jesus mother. She came to Jesus with the simple statement that the people had run out of wine, and Jesus said that His time had not come yet.

Then Jesus mother goes to the servants and says "Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it." What strong words, but they come from desperation. After, all, who wants anyone to be left out at a party? Can you imagine how it would feel for you to be left out? It's no fun to be left in the cold.

So what is Jesus going to do to solve the problem? Let's see what the Bible has to say:

6 Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece.

Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.”

So what is Jesus response? He gives a simple command. Now notice how the servants respond to this command: "And they filled them up to the brim. "

Did Jesus say right away what would happen? Did He even say to fill the waterpots to the brim? Why the response of the servants?

Because I believe that they had true faith. They wanted to see what Jesus would do. They couldn't wait to see what happened, and had a curiousity, that just would not be satisfied until they saw the results. How about you and I today. When we are discouraged, do we take Jesus at His Words, and follow them above and beyond? He tells us to cast our burden upon Him. Do we do it? Do we cast it all upon Him, or do we just cast some of it? Let's not only cast part of our burden upon Him, let's cast it all!

Notice what happens next in the rest of the story:

8 And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it. 9 When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. 10 And he said to him, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!”