Jars of Clay
“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this
all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” (2 Corinthians 4:7)
History has always fascinated me. So I was quite the amateur archaeologist in
my younger days. I remember the time I found
two beautiful examples of clay jugs from the 18th century. It was so exciting to hold a piece of history
in my hands. I could almost feel and
hear the spinning of the potter’s wheel as they turned and shaped the chunks of
clay that eventually became these jugs.
When the apostle Paul compared our lives to clay pots, he
focused not on the earthen vessels, but rather the contents of those vessels. Jars of clay deteriorate over time, become
chipped, cracked, and eventually broken. However, the real value of those ancient pots
was not in the clay containers themselves, but in what they contained.
The great
purpose behind why we are called jars of clay is to show the surpassing power that
belongs to God and not to us. (2 Corinthians 4:7) We are weak, we are frail, we are lame, and
yet, we are chosen. We are loved. “He chose the lowly things of this world and
the despised things– and the things that are not– to nullify the things that
are, so that no one may boast before him.” (1 Corinthians 1:28-29)
Our only
boast is in Jesus our Lord who is for us our wisdom and righteousness,
sanctification and redemption. (Verse 30) He is our perfect righteousness, who not only
meets us in our weakness, but covers our every sin and deformity by His blood.
We humans tend to focus on the frailties and
imperfections of our decaying vessels, looking, characteristically, on the
outward form rather than the substance within. But the inward reality is what matters to God,
and ultimately, to us as well, since that reality is His living Presence within
us; a treasure of wisdom, power and love with immeasurable value.
The Lord’s evaluation of us is not by outward appearance,
which is corruptible and deteriorates with time. His indwelling Spirit, His Living Word, and
the dynamic intimate relationship into which He invites us are where the real
treasure is to be found!
Can God change
your life?
God has made it
possible for you to know Him, and experience an amazing
change in your own
life.
Discover how you
can find peace with God.
