Treasure in Clay Jars
But we have this treasure in jars of clay
to show that this all-surpassing power
is from God and not from us.
-2 Cor 4:7
Clay jars are fragile. They can be scratched, chipped and broken. They show the signs of wear and tear; they show their age. A clay jar, though, can be fixed. I have a little pot that most people would say is funny-looking. My youngest son made it for me in kindergarten and filled it with dandelions when he gave it to me. It got broken when we moved once and we fixed it with super glue. That little pot is something I treasure because of where it came from. It now is used as a pencil holder on my computer armoire and I get to look at it every day. Just like that pot, we - God's clay jars - sometimes get broken and damaged.
My son worked hard to make that pot and present it to me and, to me, it is a treasured possession. God's Son gave His life to present me to God as a new creation. He treasures me, broken and chipped as I might be. Just as I fixed the pot my son gave me and used it for a new purpose, God is also in the business of fixing clay jars. He treasures us as we are, and fixes us to be used for a new purpose - HIS purpose. I filled my pot with pencils. God fills His clay jars - me and you - with treasure.
"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us." What is that treasure? It's found in the previous verse: For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. That treasure is the "light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ." It's a treasure that's supposed to fill us - His clay jars - and overflow to reach other clay jars who are broken, and in need of fixing and becoming new creations - to be used for a new purpose - God's purpose.
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My son worked hard to make that pot and present it to me and, to me, it is a treasured possession. God's Son gave His life to present me to God as a new creation. He treasures me, broken and chipped as I might be. Just as I fixed the pot my son gave me and used it for a new purpose, God is also in the business of fixing clay jars. He treasures us as we are, and fixes us to be used for a new purpose - HIS purpose. I filled my pot with pencils. God fills His clay jars - me and you - with treasure.
"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us." What is that treasure? It's found in the previous verse: For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. That treasure is the "light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ." It's a treasure that's supposed to fill us - His clay jars - and overflow to reach other clay jars who are broken, and in need of fixing and becoming new creations - to be used for a new purpose - God's purpose.
More Articles Home Page