Washing your hands

Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.

John 2:6

As I was reading this morning about Jesus turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana, I was struck by the nature of the jars Jesus had them put the water in. These weren't necessarily jars for storing drinking water, but jars for water for cleansing themselves - washing their hands perhaps. I can't tell you how many times I've read this passage and not thought about the jars themselves. It made me think of Psalm 24.

³ Who may ascend the hill of the LORD ?
    Who may stand in his holy place?
⁴ He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
    who does not lift up his soul to an idol
    or swear by what is false.

Psalm 24:-3-4

Not only was the wine Jesus produced here the best wine of the day, but He used water for washing your hands. It's wasn't fancy bottled water or vitamin water or flavored water, just water to wash yourself with. In the past, I have thought of this miracle as being insignificant in the long run - it wasn't a healing, He didn't have a sermon to give after it. But, when I consider that He came to draw men to God and consider Psalm 24, I can appreciate a deeper meaning to this miracle.