THoughts on 2nd Corinthians 4:7
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7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.
Treasure?
In the context of the passage, this TREASURE is the Gospel (Good News) of Jesus Christ and the Light of that Gospel that spreads in us and through us...
6 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 God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.
But this TREASURE is wrapped in earthen vessels (clay pots/terra cotta pots)
“Terra Cotta” means baked earth!
This is a reminder of our creation as lumps of clay that God breathed His life giving Spirit into...
7 Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
Paul points us back to our creation to make the point that simply as created beings we are dependent upon God. There is NOTHING special about us, other than we have God’s life giving breath within us.
But, there is more to it than simply about being a part of God’s creation!
We have the Good News to share with the world. But, our vessel, our tool, is a simple clay pot...
CLAY POTS ARE FRAGILE!
They crack, chip, break, and get destroyed EASILY!
This is Paul’s point. We have a Great Treasure, the Good News of Jesus Christ, that we display to the world.
But, in order for people to see that magnificence of that treasure, we are simply clay pots. We crack and break easily, but, that makes it easier for the world to see the TREASURE that lies within us! It is hard to see the light unless the earthen vessel has some chips and cracks in it! But, once those fragile pots crack and break, the treasure inside is more readily seen and known.
IT’S NOT ABOUT THE VESSEL!
IT’S NOT ABOUT YOU!!!!!
It’S ABOUT DISPLAYING THE TREASURE OF JESUS CHRIST THAT IS GIVEN YOU TO DISPLAY!
As we go through the school year, with the reports, grades, activities, sports, assemblies, science fairs, concerts… As we deal with administrators, school boards, calendars, parent-teacher conferences...
Do so as cracked pots, earthen vessels, that easily break, get frustrated, get discouraged etc… but, as cracked, broken pots MAY WE ALLOW THE TREASURE OF THE GOOD NEWS AND THE LIGHT OF JESUS CHRIST to radiate from us.
It’s NOT about us, but about Christ working IN us and THROUGH us to reach our world!!