Jars of Clay {2 Corinthians 4}

8:00 AM


Tuesday, April 28, 2020

I could hardly contain myself when I realized I was writing on 2 Corinthians 4!  The end of this chapter has been my favorite for a long time.


“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.”  Clay jars were containers created by potters who took raw clay, shaped and molded it and made it into the desired jar.  Then it was baked until it was hard.  Then they were decorated for whatever purpose the maker had in mind.  I learned that in ancient times, sacred scrolls or valuable documents were rolled up and placed inside.  In fact, the dead sea scrolls were found in clay jars.  Clay jars may have been beautiful, and they contained some pretty important items, but had one thing in common – they were breakable.  The contents could not be forever housed in jars of clay – they were temporary holding places.

According to 2 Corinthians 4:7, we are like “jars of clay” with a “treasure” inside.  This means that our physical bodies are like those jars.  We are made from clay (Genesis 2:7; Psalm 103:14).  Our bodies come in all shapes and sizes, each designed by God for whatever purpose He desires (Isaiah 45:9; Romans 9:21).  Our bodies are beautiful, functional, and breakable.  Our bodies are temporary holding places for the treasure God has given us, namely “the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:4).  The knowledge of the gospel is rich in truth!

God entrusts each of us with this treasure that will last forever (2 Peter 1:3).  2 Corinthians 4:6 defines that treasure as “the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.”  The treasure that we are privileged to hold, is the knowledge of our Creator through His Son, Jesus Christ (John 14:26).  We were dead in our sin and destined for destruction, God made a way for us to be made new (2 Corinthians 5:17).  Our physical “jars of clay” will be resurrected one day to be glorified, eternal bodies (1 Corinthians 15:20-23).  God extends an invitation for “whosoever will” to come to Him while still in these earthly bodies.  This knowledge and resulting relationship with God are the greatest treasurers any earthly vessel can hold!

I don’t know about you, but my eyesight isn’t what it used to be.  I can’t see the way I used to.  Paul is old now as he writes to the Corinthians.  He’s been imprisoned and beaten.  His body has endured quite a bit.  His strength doesn’t hold up the way it used to, and he is much older.  He admits that this is a threat to his faith and joy and courage.

But he doesn’t lose heart!  Why?

The renewing of his heart comes from looking at something he cannot see.  “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

We “look” at these unseen things through the gospel.  We strengthen our hearts and we renew our courage, by fixing our gaze on the invisible, objective truth that we see in the testimony of those who saw Christ face to face. 

“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.” 

We see this as it shines in our hearts through the gospel.  Whether we understood this or not, we became Christians when this happened.  And as with Paul, we need to go on seeing with the eyes of the heart, so that we do not lose heart.

Blessings, 

Lisa



This is one of my favorite songs.:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30ypK7r4h-o


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