Formed and Reformed

Jeremiah visits a local pottery maker.

God had promised Jeremiah his words would be revealed at the potter’s house.

Pottery making was common in this era.

They were multi-purpose and bio-degradable containers.

God often uses common things in the world to make a point.

The potter was working clay into a vessel.

Whatever he was making became spoiled or malformed.

The potter had to rework the clay into something new.

This would involve needing the clay and clearing debris, employing some effort; strength as well as masterful skills.

God emphatically asked his people through Jeremiah: “Can I not do with you… just as this potter has done?”

God claimed imagery of the potter and his people the clay in his hands.

Needing clay into vessels takes hard work and sometimes rework.

Forming the people of God also takes work and sometimes rework.

Jesus spoke to the crowd about bearing the costs of discipleship

Hating one’s family

Hating oneself

Giving up all our possessions

Surely, he is not telling us to hate everyone in contradiction to the Great Commandment of loving others.

Jeremiah relayed God’s command to turn now from evil way, surely hate is evil.

When we realize that Christ paid the price of our sinfulness with his life, we recognize that following him may not be pleasant.

If our end goal in life is to be perfected in love through faith in Christ, we must persevere in that faith unto death.

That is a heavy price to pay.

It takes hard work to continually make good things.

Stubborn building materials require a certain amount of tolerance.

Stubborn stain requires soaking and scrubbing, sometimes with caustic solution.

It takes real resolve to continually do good works.

It’s easy to get lost in the work, good or not.

We need to know WHY we should continue to do good, hard work.

Let’s not make the mistake that we somehow earn God’s blessing by doing good.

If our goal is to be perfectly formed, then any imperfections must be worked out of us.

it is God who forms and reforms us into all goodness by his grace.

Jesus’ original 12 disciples had walked away from family responsibilities for a time.

Peter had a wife, Phillip had four daughters, and some of their parents were still alive and lived nearby.

Undoubtedly, all of them had an occupation before traveling with Jesus.

Jesus spoke to others following him, possibly the 70 from Luke 10.

They were caught up in the excitement of it all and decided to follow Jesus.

They had yet to count the full cost. They would need to follow through on their decision.

Many Pharisees and law men were already hostile towards Jesus and his disciples.

It was only going to get worse; some to the point of death.

In this passage, the word Jesus uses (miseō) is translated as hate, it is used to convey loving something less than or even disliking something else by contrast.

Here it is used to convey loving God over other people or things.

Jesus lays down this condition to his followers:

A disciple of Jesus must be willing to lay aside anyone or anything when following God.

Including oneself.

If one is willing to lay aside oneself, then one is willing to lay aside anything.

The Grace of God does not come cheap.

Jesus does not leave us with bearing our cross ourselves.

His Spirit works within us to shape and separating us from sinfulness and selfishness

Convincing (persuading/kneading into) us of the ways of love.

Is it not better to be reshaped than to be cast aside?

Faith in Jesus Christ isn’t following some ethical rules, but a life an abundant life bearing much good fruit will be the result.

We join in bearing the cost and the fruit alongside Jesus, so that we will attain loving perfection in him, and others will come to know that perfect love.

Instead of being cast aside, we are embraced by Christ like a beloved and beautiful pottery heirloom.

If we are to eat at the heavily table of the Lord, is it not best to a part of a full set?

Do we not want to see others come into the full grace and perfect love of God?

This is why we invite others to the table.

And, this is why we do not have to be afraid of the working of our eternal potter’s hands.