Readings for today: Proverbs 21-22, 2 Corinthians 4
I have this clay pot on my desk. A friend gave it to me years ago. She bought it in Egypt from a local vendor who literally spent his days forming these vessels out of clay and letting them bake in the sun before taking them to market to sell. It’s simple. Ordinary. Fairly fragile. I imagine if I used it day in and day out like most people over in that part of the world, it would become chipped and cracked. Eventually it break apart altogether.
I think about this pot every time I read Paul’s words to the Corinthians. “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. ” (2 Corinthians 4:7) You and I are no different than the pot that sits on my desk. Simple. Ordinary. Fragile. It doesn’t take much to wound us. Hurt us. Chip us. Crack us. Break us. And yet God is His unsurpassed wisdom and grace has entrusted to us the treasure of the gospel. Through His Spirit He has deposited Christ into our hearts. And we now carry Him with us wherever we go.
There is a lot of pressure in our world to be perfect. To never let anyone see you sweat. To pretend like we have it altogether. It’s why so many compromise. It’s why so many turn to “disgraceful, underhanded ways” or “practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word…” (2 Cor. 4:2) They are trying to maintain an image. On the flip side, there seems to be just as much pressure - especially among younger leaders - to be “real” and “authentic.” Doubts. Questions. “Deconstructing the faith” has become extremely popular, not to mention lucrative, to many with a platform. They often curate their brokenness on social media in the service of self-promotion. Both views are deeply misguided because they both focus on the pot rather than the Potter. They focus on the jar of clay rather than the treasure hidden within. They flip the script and ascribe power to the person rather than to God which is why all such efforts eventually fall apart. I’ve seen it happen far too many times in my own life. I’ve seen it happen far to many times in the lives of those I love and admire.
We are weak and feeble. We are foolish and ignorant. We are anxious and afraid. Each one of our “jars” is chipped and cracked and broken in so many different ways. But when we see ourselves as Jesus sees us, we see past all the hurts, wounds, and scars to the treasure deposited within. We see the light of Christ shining through all our imperfections, giving light and life and blessing to those around us. We understand the “vessels” we inhabit are ultimately not what’s most important. Rather it is Christ in us that is the hope of glory! So it doesn’t matter what hardships we suffer or what injustices we face. We recognize this world has nothing for us. It is not our home. We can spend our lives in service to Christ. We can wear these bodies out for the sake of Christ’s mission in this world. We can exhaust our resources and our time and our energy. We can leave it all on the field so to speak, trusting there is a greater prize awaiting us in heaven. I love how Paul describes his own life, “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you.” (2 Corinthians 4:8-12)
Paul gets it. His whole life has prepared him for this moment. All his training. Upbringing. Wealth. Power. Privilege. All of it is now poured out like a drink offering before Christ. He must die so others may live. He must give away all he has for the sake of those who do not know Jesus Christ. He must surrender all his needs, wants, and desires for the sake of the mission of proclaiming Christ. He understands the true worth of the treasure he carries inside and he lets his life become a living testimony to the surpassing power of Christ.
This is how the gospel spreads from one generation to the next. From one region of the world to the next. Through ordinary men and women who come face to face with the pearl of great price and sell all they have as a response. Ordinary people like you and me who grasp the infinite worth of the treasure we hold and do all we can to give it away to others.
Readings for tomorrow: Proverbs 23-24, 2 Corinthians 5:1-6:13