Jars: A Parable for the Emerging Church

Once there was a Master who had many servants. He gave them a special Jar which he would fill to overflowing with the waters of life, and they would drink from it together and be filled. But over time, the Jar became worn and dirty. The servants loved the cool sweet water it contained, but were indignant that it should be placed in such a filthy container. So one day, some of the servants decided they would clean it up.

But as they held it and scrubbed, it slipped from their hands and smashed to the ground into a million pieces. Some began moaning and crying, but some others with cooler heads reasoned," we will not have time to reassemble the entire Great Jar again before the Master comes to fill it; but maybe each of us could assemble a small jar for ourselves individually, and when the Master comes, He can fill those jars which are assembled first, and then later move on to fill those which are assembled last.

So that is what happened. The Master was grieved that the Great Jar was broken, but knew that if his servants did not drink from the water of life, they would die, so graciously filled each of their individual jars. But those jars were smaller, and cracked, and leaked, and it grieved Him even more that His servants seemed content with them.

Many generations passed, but after a long time the sons and daughters of those servants finally understood that though they drank from the smaller jars, they were still thirsty for more Water. "It is because our jars are small and leaky," they realized. But then they reasoned: "Let us smash them once more, however this time, let us not make individual jars, but one Great Jar which the Master can again fill to overflowing. That way we can all drink, and never again thirst."

SO they smashed their individual jars and worked to create a new great jar. But though it was one jar, it was made of many shards, and the places where it was glued were still weak and leaky. It was a mosaic of shards, assembled according to the fashion of jars of the time, and though it bore some resemblence to the original Jar, it was not at all the same Jar, for it was cracked and crazed. Yet they brought it proudly to the Master, and expected Him to be pleased.

But instead the Master sighed. "Oh, my beloved but foolish servants," he said. "If only your ancestors had given me the Jar and asked Me to clean it, it never would have been broken in the first place! But even then, if you had given Me the pieces, and asked, I would have given you a clean and newly-restored Jar, one without spot or crack, one which would have held more Water than you could ever have hoped to drink. You would never have been thirsty again. But see, I am a gracious Master, and even now, if you ask me, I will give you that Jar. You cannot make it yourself; you can only receive it. So ask, and it shall be given to you!"

Copyright 2005, Beth Bilynskyj