Life in a Clay Jar: When Cracking Up is a Good Thing

Read: 2 Corinthians 4:1-12

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) 

In the usual scheme of things, we tend to put things of value in safe and secure places, most of which are kept out of plain sight: safe deposit boxes, locked drawers, etc. We generally do this because we fear that leaving something of value out in the open will significantly increase the risk that it will get damaged, or lost, or stolen. We think that, the more hidden away something of value is, the better the chances of preserving it for our future use.

In today’s Bible reading, the Apostle Paul tells us that God takes a very different attitude. God entrusts the most valuable thing in the universe–the good news that God sent His son Jesus to make it possible for humans to find forgiveness for their sins and come into a right relationship with Himself–to the very same weak and sinful humans that Jesus came into the world to save. To be sure, this is something of an oxymoron! But, even a cursory overview of Biblical history shows that it’s God’s M.O. to choose people who are both morally and physically weak to carry His message and accomplish His purposes on earth. Paul himself is a prime example of this; not only did he refer to himself as the worst of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15), he was also constantly plagued by a “thorn in the flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7), which kept him ever mindful of his own physical and spiritual weakness and insufficiency.

To put in another way, Paul was only too well aware that he was a “cracked pot”! Yet, at the same time, Paul was also very aware of God’s ability to make those very cracks in his physical and spiritual strength into channels through which God’s grace and mercy become clearly evident.

Gracious Heavenly Father, When I become discouraged by my persistent physical and/or spiritual weakness, remind me of your intent and ability to use these cracks in my physical and spiritual strength as showcase windows through which your grace and mercy can be seen by all. Grant me the grace and wisdom not to let my own pride and desire for self-sufficiency obscure the view. In Jesus’ name. Amen.