Lenten Meditation: March 22, 2024
Daily Scripture Passage: 2 Corinthians 4:1-12
But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. — 2 Corinthians 4:7
The prophet Jeremiah has a famous metaphor where he compares God to a potter and the nation of Israel to clay. This metaphor is easy to understand. God shapes our lives, as a potter shapes clay.
But what does it mean to compare humans to “clay jars,” as Paul does in our passage today?
The commentator R. Kent Hughes provides this helpful context:
“Clay jars were the throwaway containers of the ancient world, so that their life spans were generally a few years at the most… Earthenware jars were an anonymous part of everyday living as they were used for cooking and eating and drinking and storing leftovers… No one took note of clay jars any more than we would of a fast-food container. They were simply there for convenience. It was no great tragedy when such vessels were broken. They were cheap and easy to replace.”
But that is not the end of our story!
No matter what kind of container we feel that we are—no matter how broken or misshapen or leaky—we contain invaluable treasure inside us. Made in the image of God, we have been redeemed by Jesus Christ for a great purpose, which is, as the Prayer Book tells us, “to share the divine life of him who humbled himself to share our humanity.”