You know what they say about spilled milk. But I’ve never heard anyone say that you shouldn’t cry over spilled wine. I mean, if you drop a full glass of really nice wine, what’s your reaction? What a loss! What a waste! What a mess!! Maybe you don’t actually cry. But maybe you want to…
Writing to his friends in the Roman colony of Philippi, Paul uses some surprisingly Hebrew ry. In the Old Testament, the priests sometimes had the job of pouring out a drink offering; that is, spilling fine wine over the sacrifice to make it pleasing to God.
The Greeks and Romans knew of drink offerings, too. But unlike the other gods around the ancient world, the God of Israel never needed to be fed by human offerings. The Old Testament gives us a picture of a God who wants fellowship with people, and wants to remove sin so that eating and drinking in fellowship with God is possible.
For the joy set before him, Jesus lives out that heart of God. Jesus empties himself, pours himself out, gives his own blood as wine. Following in his master’s footsteps, Paul pours himself out as a drink offering that mingles with and enhances the sacrificial offering of his friends’ faith.
When you give yourself freely for the sake of people you love, when you pour yourself into the faithful sacrifice of others, when you join your self-giving love to the self-giving love of your friends, you don’t experience that as loss at all. Life might get messy, but when you live in the abundance of knowing Jesus, pouring yourself out for others doesn’t bring the pain of waste or loss; that fellowship offering brings tears of joy. I guess you can cry over spilled wine.
But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. Philippians 2:17 (NIV)
I thank you, Heavenly Father, that you have given me the ability and opportunity to pour into the lives of others. Have I told you lately about some of my favorite people and what they are up to? I place these people especially before your throne of grace…
Thank you Lord, for the people you have placed in my life. Show me how I can serve them in your name this week. Amen.
This devotion is a selection from Come, Holy Spirit: A daily discipleship travel log for Easter and Pentecost, available from Next Step Press. Used by permission.
You can hear the author read this devotion in Season 5, Episode 4 of the Next Step Podcast: Paradox & Life in the Spirit.
Other traditions agree that spilled wine is actually good luck. The tradition of breaking a glass full of wine at a wedding is meant to bring many years of love to the happy couple.
At some point or another we will all find ourselves both as the person who spilled the wine and as the person who was spilled upon. Just remember in either situation to be polite, and that a glass of Champagne solves most problems.
If the glass you happen to spill is your own, and the wine lands on an inconsequential location such as the floor, the tablecloth (which, let’s be honest, is basically just a bib for the table) or somewhere else where little harm was done, the biggest risk is potentially looking like a klutz and maybe damaging your ego a bit, a situation we’ve all been in at one time or another. In this scenario the best approach is to make a self-deprecating joke about the whole ordeal and then help clean the mess up. The worst thing you could do here is just sit there while a waiter, the host or your fellow companions all scurry around to mop up your accident. Just sitting there is one of the quickest ways we can think of to be labeled an ass. Don’t do it. After everything gets cleaned up, grab another glass, and just be a bit more careful next time.
If instead the wine in the other person’s glass was from a bottle that was purchased for the table, apologize for your clumsiness and then you should both move on. We understand that it can be frustrating for the person whose glass was spilled to miss out on some of the wine from the bottle, but for a klutzy mistake one shouldn’t be expected to order a brand new bottle, that’s simply unrealistic. A nice gesture, however, would be for the person doing the spilling to order the injured party a glass of Champagne. Because Champagne cures everything.
However, what if that wine you spilled on the inconsequential locale wasn’t inside your glass, but instead was housed inside the glass of someone else? If you’re out, the first thing to do after helping to cleanup the spilled glass of wine is to offer to buy the person a new one. We realize glasses of wine can often be expensive, but it’s the polite thing to do if the wine they were drinking is indeed available by the glass.
Alternatively, if you are the person on whom the wine was spilled, it’s important that your remember to keep your cool too. Also, rid yourself of any expectation that the person who spilled on you should actually replace your garment or other accessory. An expectation of the person paying for the cleaning is legitimate, but an expectation of a replacement is pretty ridiculous. Shit happens in life. Is it really worth ruining a friendship or creating a scene because someone spilled on you or your precious stuff? If you’re so concerned about spilled wine on yourself or your things, then don’t wear nice clothes out or have people over to drink red wine.
When you give yourself freely for the sake of people you love, when you pour yourself into the faithful sacrifice of others, when you join your self-giving love to the self-giving love of your friends, you don’t experience that as loss at all. Life might get messy, but when you live in the abundance of knowing Jesus, pouring yourself out for others doesn’t bring the pain of waste or loss; that fellowship offering brings tears of joy. I guess you can cry over spilled wine.
You can hear the author read this devotion in Season 5, Episode 4 of the Next Step Podcast: Paradox & Life in the Spirit.
This devotion is a selection from Come, Holy Spirit: A daily discipleship travel log for Easter and Pentecost, available from Next Step Press. Used by permission.
I thank you, Heavenly Father, that you have given me the ability and opportunity to pour into the lives of others. Have I told you lately about some of my favorite people and what they are up to? I place these people especially before your throne of grace…
For the joy set before him, Jesus lives out that heart of God. Jesus empties himself, pours himself out, gives his own blood as wine. Following in his master’s footsteps, Paul pours himself out as a drink offering that mingles with and enhances the sacrificial offering of his friends’ faith.
What Happens When You Drink a Glass of Wine Every Night | Dietitian Q&A | EatingWell
FAQ
What does it mean when you accidentally spill wine?
Is spilling a drink good luck?
What does it mean when someone spills wine on you?
What is the superstition about the last drop of wine?
What to do if someone spills a glass of wine?
If you’re out, the first thing to do after helping to cleanup the spilled glass of wine is to offer to buy the person a new one. We realize glasses of wine can often be expensive, but it’s the polite thing to do if the wine they were drinking is indeed available by the glass.
What happens if you spill a glass of wine on someone?
Spilling the glass of wine on someone or something is another story. It is this occurrence that is most often the cause of a simple accident becoming tense and uncomfortable. In this particular situation it is worth remembering, for both the person who has been spilled on and the person who has done the spilling, that cool heads always prevail.
What does it mean if you spill wine?
In some instances, spilling wine is considered a negative omen, symbolizing social or spiritual disarray. In contrast, others may view it as a sign of protection, as the spilled wine washes away negative energy. When we spill milk, it’s often a sign that we’re feeling overwhelmed, emotionally unbalanced, or letting negativity impact our mindset.
What if someone spilled wine?
At some point or another we will all find ourselves both as the person who spilled the wine and as the person who was spilled upon. Just remember in either situation to be polite, and that a glass of Champagne solves most problems. You spilled wine on someone, or worse they spilled wine on you.