Overflowing

Lord, may my words glorify You. Help me to speak what You want me to say, and may we all hear the message You have for us today.

Amen.

Good morning, everyone!

Have you ever run out of something at the worst possible moment? Milk when you’re making tea, petrol on a long drive, or, heaven forbid, toilet paper? It’s always inconvenient and sometimes downright embarrassing. But running out of joy—now that’s something even more serious. If you’ve ever hit a point where life feels empty, where the music has stopped and there’s nothing left to celebrate, then this message is for you.

Today’s Gospel reading gives us the perfect scene to explore this. Jesus was at a wedding. It started off as every great wedding should—music, laughter, dancing, and wine flowing freely. But then came the moment no host ever wants: they ran out of wine. Now, in Jesus’ time, this wasn’t just a minor inconvenience; it was a social disaster. A wedding without wine was like Christmas without mince pies—it just didn’t happen! Yet, instead of letting the celebration end in embarrassment, Jesus performed His first recorded miracle, and it wasn’t flashy or dramatic. He quietly turned water into wine, and not just any wine—the best wine. It was a miracle that set the tone for His ministry: God’s abundance filling our emptiness.

Let’s be honest. We’ve all had moments when our own jars feel empty. Maybe work has drained every last drop of your patience, or you’ve been up all night with a crying baby and your energy is gone. Sometimes it’s deeper—relationships feel strained, or life feels flat and joyless. It’s in these moments that we’re tempted to focus on what we don’t have. Like the servants at the wedding, we look at our water—plain, ordinary, uninspiring—and think, “This isn’t enough.” As Brené Brown said, “We’re a nation hungry for more joy: Because we’re starving from a lack of gratitude.” When we shift our focus to gratitude, offering even what little we have to God, we open the door to His overflowing abundance.

But here’s the thing: in God’s hands, what we see as “not enough” becomes more than enough. The servants at Cana didn’t understand why Jesus told them to fill the jars with water, but they obeyed anyway. Let’s imagine the scene for a moment. Just picture this; one servant whispering to another, “Fill the jars? With water? Does He know how wine is made? Maybe someone should tell Him!” You can almost see them rolling their eyes as they lug those heavy jars to the well and back. And yet, their simple obedience set the stage for a miracle.

Imagine being at that wedding in Cana and overhearing the steward’s reaction: “Most people serve the good wine first, but you’ve saved the best until now!” As Winston Churchill once quipped, “I am easily satisfied with the very best.” It’s a humorous reminder that God’s abundance isn’t just about quantity—it’s about the unparalleled quality of what He pours into our lives.

It’s funny how often we behave, isn’t it? God nudges us to do something, and we immediately question Him. “Really, God? You want me to forgive them? But they haven’t even apologised!” Or, “You want me to serve in that ministry? I’m not even good at public speaking!” But when we step out in faith, even in the smallest ways, God has a way of turning our obedience into something extraordinary.

Here’s the other part of the story I love: Jesus didn’t just provide enough wine to save the day. He provided an abundance of the best wine. That’s the nature of God’s grace. He doesn’t just meet our needs—He exceeds them. He’s not a God of “just enough”; He’s a God of overflow. And that overflow isn’t just for us. Like the wine at the wedding, it’s meant to be shared, to bring joy to everyone around us.

This reminds me of something very personal. For years, I was a militant atheist. I believed everyone had a void inside of them, but I saw Christians as foolish people trying to fill it with their beliefs. To me, this “void” was a problem only for those who couldn’t cope with life or who couldn’t live with themselves. I saw faith as a crutch for the weak. Little did I know that I wasn’t wrong about the void—I was wrong about what it was for. That void was placed there by God Himself, and only He can fill it.

You see, we all try to fill that emptiness with something. For some, it’s possessions. We think if we just have the latest phone, a bigger house, or a fancy car, we’ll feel complete. Others turn to addictions—alcohol, drugs, gambling, sex, or even work—desperately seeking to fill the void. For others, it’s wealth, power, or status. But no matter how much we pour into that space, it never feels full, does it? The void is still there, gnawing at us, whispering that something is missing.

There’s a famous story often attributed to the millionaire John D. Rockefeller. He was once asked, “How much money is enough?” His reply? “Just a little bit more.” Isn’t that so true of human nature? We’re constantly chasing after the next thing—more money, more success, more recognition. But the truth is, no matter how much we gain, it’s never enough to fill the void inside. The thirst remains.

Jesus addressed this very issue when He met the Samaritan woman at the well. She had come to draw water, but Jesus offered her something far greater—living water. He said, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst” (John 4:13-14). What Jesus offers isn’t just a temporary fix; it’s a permanent solution to the longing in our souls. The living water He provides quenches our deepest thirst and brings true satisfaction.

This is the incredible truth we often miss. The void within us, the unending desire for “just a little bit more,” was never meant to be filled by possessions or achievements. It was meant to be filled by God. Only His love, His peace, and His presence can truly satisfy. And here’s the beauty of it: when God fills us, He doesn’t just give us enough to scrape by. He fills us to overflowing, so that His blessings spill out into every area of our lives and into the lives of those around us.

Consider the ongoing global discussions about burnout. Did you know that recent reports show over 43% of workers worldwide describe themselves as "constantly tired"? Our society runs on "empty," yet Jesus invites us to rest in Him and experience not just replenishment, but fullness. Imagine if we allowed Him to take the “water” of our lives—our tired efforts, strained schedules, and scattered priorities—and transform them into the “wine” of His joy and abundance.

While doing some reading on Friday evening I was reminded of something St Augustine said: “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” So beautifully put, isn’t it?

Where in your life are you running on empty? Maybe it’s your patience with a difficult colleague or your hope for a situation that hasn’t changed.

Maybe you feel like your faith has been reduced to a trickle, and you’re wondering if it’s enough to keep going. Or perhaps you’ve been chasing after “just a little bit more,” only to find that it’s left you feeling even more empty. Whatever your “empty jar” is, I encourage you to bring it to Jesus. Offer Him the water you have, no matter how plain or inadequate it feels, and trust Him to do the rest. Trust Him to quench your thirst with His living water, the only water that truly satisfies.

Let us pray.

Loving God, Thank You for reminding us that You are the God of abundance, not scarcity. As we leave this place, may we carry the truth of Your overflowing grace in our hearts. Fill us each day with Your living water, quenching our deepest thirst and empowering us to share Your joy with the world. May we step out in faith, offering You even our smallest efforts, trusting in Your power to transform them. Help us to be vessels of Your love and light in every corner of our lives.

Through Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.