A man carrying a jar of water in the streets of Jerusalem is equivalent to a modern-day jobless father or a stay-at-home dad. It can be humiliating most of the time. As a former office-goer and former banker, I did feel uneasy at times.
Each man, according to their situation, has to choose a path; when the other doesn’t want to make the sacrifice, and you’re unable to find a nanny in the faraway land in the city.
This less-than-ordinary man and the role he played struck me this year, other than in the past, as I am going through a rough patch in my life over and over.
Truly speaking, they are looked down upon by society and even their in-laws. However, they must have a mission to finish in this lifetime at their own capacity.
Man carrying a jar:
As a believer, I took my reference mostly from the scripture, where I stake my claim on the Kingdom coming of Christ.
In the Bible, a “man carrying a jar of water” is a specific sign given by Jesus to his disciples to lead them to the location of the Last Supper.
According to the Gospels of Mark 14:13 and Luke 22:10, as the time for Passover approached, Jesus sent two of his disciples into Jerusalem with a precise instruction: “As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you.”
“Follow him to the house that he enters,” and ask the owner for the guest room where the Teacher may eat the Passover. The disciples found everything exactly as Jesus had described and prepared the meal in a large upper room.
Significance of the man carrying a jar:
In first-century Judea, carrying water jars was almost exclusively considered women’s work. A man performing this task would have stood out immediately as an unmistakable marker in the crowded city during the festival.
This detail is often cited as evidence of Jesus’ omniscience or meticulous planning, showing he knew exactly who would be where at a specific moment as the divine foreknowledge.
It might have been a “coded” instruction to keep the location of the Passover hidden from Judas Iscariot and the authorities until the proper time, preventing a premature arrest before the meal could be completed.
Since the community in Jerusalem was largely male and celibate, the men performed all domestic duties, including carrying water. This would explain why a man was carrying a jar and why a “furnished upper room” was readily available, as per the Essenes.
Symbol of Carrying a jar:
While the man remains anonymous and performs a menial task, serving as a model of unseen obedience that facilitates a major redemptive event.
It is evident here that the less-than-ordinary people also play an important role in the event in their own capacity, as they’re humble at heart.
Some even interpreted the water as a symbol of the Holy Spirit or “Living Water,” prefiguring the spiritual outpouring that would later occur in that same upper room on the day of Pentecost.
Carrying the jar of water:
In today’s world, we no longer carry a water pitcher or a jar, but we are busy with child-rearing and the related work.
For me, I can’t simply leave my precious children at home without a proper nanny. Thus, I gave up my regular job. I did think of getting back to work.
However, I have been struggling to recover from brain surgery during my heyday. My age, as per the government standard in my country, has ended.
While I cannot say for others, I still have that urge to work again. In the meantime, not working made me stay grounded, relying more on studying the word of God.
I want to be that anonymous man who carries the living water for others, although I did have my flaws in my journey in the Kingdom coming.
Spreading the living water:
My situation has coerced me to change my path in spreading the living water. I offer myself to be one among the channels through which the living water flows. So far, I have published and written some books in addition to my website here.
It is my wish and prayer that a door will open in the future for me to work with some ministry or mission-minded organization while carrying the jar of water. This jar of water is too precious to keep simply to ourselves.
The man carrying the jar inspired me to rethink our status because in the hands of Jesus, everything becomes worthy. I hope you are encouraged just as me. It is the small things and the less ordinary that matter at times.
You can reach out to me if you know someone willing to chat with me about any project, or if you want to know more about any word of encouragement and advice for each other.
Stay blessed, everyone in your capacity!
