Vessels of the Lord

Yesterday we talked about the first recorded miracle that Jesus performed—turning water to wine. Once we understand the symbolism in the miracle there are so many lessons to explore and ponder. My favorite is to think about the fact that we are vessels of the Lord and that as vessels we need to be filled with Living Water.

The problem is that so many “vessels” are so concerned with decorating the outside of the pot that they don’t have time to take in the water that is being offered. They are more concerned with having the latest and greatest adorning their outer walls. They look good, but they are empty inside. Other “vessels” are cracked so that even if the Living Water is available and is poured in it just flows on through. They don’t pay the price to repair themselves (repent) so that they can be water-tight. Other “vessels” put on a lid so that when leaders, parents, prophets or even the Spirit try to fill the vessel with the much needed Living Water, it can’t get inside.

Remember also that the vessels were not all exactly the same size. Being hand hewn they held roughly two to three firkins each. Likewise, we do not all have the same capacity. Some of us are three-firkin vessels and some of us are two-firkin vessels. But no matter what our capacity all we need to do is what we are capable of doing. We only need to do the best WE can do not the best our neighbor can do. The Lord didn’t refuse to change a two-firkin vessel because it didn’t have as much water as a three-firkin vessel. He never expects the vessels to all hold the same amount. But that also means that all the vessels had to be filled to the brim. The three-firkin vessels couldn’t stop at two firkins and say, “But that’s all that other vessel had to do!”

The longer you think about this miracle, the more it teaches you. But the most important thing to realize is that once the Savior has changed you into something more, you become a source of living water to others. As Jesus tells us, “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water” (John 14:38).