Friday, the Fifth Week of Lent

2 Corinthians 4:1-12

  But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.

There are certain passages in the Bible that preach themselves, and this is one of them.  It is such a meaninful passage to so many Christians because it speaks so eloquently and directly into the Christian experience.  We as Christians are indeed earthen vessels, clay jars, in which is stored an unfathomable treasure.  For all the grace of God, and love of Christ and power of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us we are still so weak, still so paralyzed by fears, still so wracked by sin, still so prone to stray.  Yet, God still uses us to achieve his wonderful work of redeeming the world through his Son.

Now, I suppose God could solve all our problems.  He could make us perfect in strength, and courage and righteousness and faithfulness.  He could by his Spirit transform us in the blink of an eye, but he doesn't and that is by design.  He stores his treasure in clay jars, to show that the power is his and not ours.  What kind of witness to the world would we be if we had no struggles with life and self and sin?  It is the very fact that in the midst of struggle, terrible struggle, struggle even unto death, that we remain faithful even in the feeble way that we do, which lets the power of God shine forth to those around us and declares his glory to them.  Perhaps that is why God chooses stutterers (Moses), youngest brothers (David), little girls (Mary), and former persecutors (Paul) to serve him in the way that he does.  How could any one believe that these people could do what they did for God, unless God was in it, unless the power was Gods? 

God chooses clay pots, and sometimes cracked ones, to serve him.  He chooses you and me to serve him without requiring us to be anything more than a willing vessel.  We provide the clay, he provides the power.