Jars of Clay
The potter sat at his wheel, his hands gently cradling the mound of clay in his palm, murky gray splatters rising up his forearms as he pressed his thumbs down at just the right moment to form a swift lip in the mound.
He slowly pulls upward and the clay grows in stature and height.
Pretty soon, the clay he has fashioned in his hand becomes a tall jar with a slender neck, nearly identical to the near dozen resting at his feet.
Why has he made so many jars, all the same?
Each one he crafted with the same loving manner and graceful touch just as the one before, but still, they are the same.
Upon closer inspection, one may see the tiny flaws and cracks in each of the prior jars as they sit drying in the sunshine; small veins and slight nicks to their exterior hint at their breakable-ness and fragile nature.
But still, the potter pours his love into crafting each one.
In 2 Corinthians 4:7, the Apostle Paull says this;
“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.”
We are the jars of clay that Paul is speaking of.
We are the identical human creatures to the jars in the story above.
We are fragile, undependable, inadequate, unworthy, and easily broken creatures living in an equally broken world.
We as humans will ultimately crack under the pressure of life, and we will certainly falter under the weight and stress of this world.
But this treasure he mentions, this is God’s gospel. This is the good news of great hope that a savior died for us- and God has given us this treasure to cling to and believe in.
It is our duty to carry this treasure with us and spread it wherever we go, to whomever we meet.
"But thanks be to God, who always leads us captive in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task?"
(2 Corinthians 2:14-16)
Who is equal to such a task?
Certainly not us.
So, why does God pour His love and mercy into us when He knows all along that we will crack and fail?
We are breakable, unworthy, marred and flawed creatures, but God still loves us and offers to us the Gospel of his Grace; and he transforms our bodies of clay into mighty seaworthy vessels with the mission of carrying his message of salvation to all places, everywhere.
Why?
Because that is what we are meant to do.
That is our mission.
We may falter and fail along the way, but this is only to prove that the power we speak of is not our own; it is God’s.
And it is God alone who can use broken and flawed vessels such as ourselves to hold the valuable treasure of his love.
