Empty Jars

Water poured from a pitcher into an empty glass. Stopping midway, my junior high school science teacher asked, “Is the glass half full or half empty?” I thought for a moment and raised my hand.

“Yes, Mary.”

Straightening up in my chair and clearing my throat, which was now asking my brain what prompted me to lift my arm, I replied, “Wouldn’t that depend upon whether you’re filling the cup or drinking from it?”

“Continue.” His stare began to burn a hole in my forehead.

“Well,” trying to find any moisture in a now parched mouth, “if you have more than a glass full of water to pour, the glass doesn’t have enough room. But if you’re really thirsty—a half cup won’t even begin to whet your whistle.” Whet your whistle? I reconsidered explaining my analogy as an otherwise calm fellow hurried to explain the metaphor and of reaching a positive or negative conclusion given the same information. I guess it made sense.

In the second book of Kings (4:1-7) we’re told of a woman who encountered God through the prophet Elisha. Hungry, thirsty and in debt up to her eyeballs, she was about to face the probability that her only source of income would be to sell her sons as slaves. “Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil,” she said (2 Kings 4:2b KJV). This mother didn’t care if her jars were half empty or half full. The reality was that she was down to the last of all she had. She didn’t need a pep talk, nor did she seek criticism for not doing a better job managing her resources. She needed divine intervention. It came to her in an empty vessel.

Elisha spoke to her: “Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors—empty vessels; do not gather just a few.” This man of God brought a promise with him. If she would but bring her emptiness, God would fill it. Not with too much, not with too little. God directed, measured and supplied sufficiency. Had she brought a full jar, there would be no room for the Lord. If she had not worked to collect her vacant life, if she had not sought out help from her neighbors, her oil would have run out and her sons sold to the highest bidder.

St. Paul quotes Christ in his second letter to the church in Corinth: “And He [the risen Christ] said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness’” (2 Cor. 12:9). Sufficiency. Abundance of grace and mercy. Life-giving water to quench the soul of one weary from wandering and tired of trying to keep oil, food and family in one place.

Christ wants us. Half full or empty. He died for us. In His death and resurrection we are made whole, filled sufficiently to live life this side of the grave as one whose jars have oil with more to spare. Jesus only asks that we bring our emptiness to Him, surrender our dependence on anything or anyone but Him. In so doing we invite the God of heaven and earth, the creator of all good things into our hearts to govern our lives.

Fill us, Jesus. Fill the hollows—pour life into the place where death would claim a home. Spill out our care. Empty us of self. Cast our eyes toward another’s need. Fill us, Jesus, with the bright hope that comes as You live in us and through us. May we be vessels suitable for the anointing oil of Your blessed love. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Photo Credit: Jar © Marie-Lan Nguyen, Wikimedia.org, Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.5 Generic License.