1-15-2018

Good Morning All,

              2 Cor. 4:7:“But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us”.

     Clay jars are an interesting creation.  They look and are extremely fragile.  It doesn’t take much to destroy them.  One well placed rock or one good kick and they shatter into dozens if not hundreds of pieces.  It would be very foolish to place anything of value in a clay jar.  Most people would use stone or iron to form a protective shield around the valued possession but you would not use a clay jar.  That would be foolish, some would even say madness.  The risk of losing the valued treasure would surely out way all the benefits of using a clay jar.  Benefits that I can’t even think of right now. 

    Yet that is exactly where God placed his valued treasure, in a clay jar.  This highly reassured item is the pure Gospel of Jesus Christ.  The forgiveness of sins, the reconciliation of people back to God through Jesus, the adoption as sons of God; are among this wonder precious gift.  This is something which needs to be shared with all of mankind.  So how does God do this?  Does he use angels to tell the world like he did at Jesus’ birth?  Does He use a flood like He did at the time of Noah?  Does He send plagues like He did to Egypt at the time of the Exodus?  These might be smarter in the eyes of the world but God uses something or actually someone totally different; God uses you and me to deliver this message of good news.

     Even though we are frail and break easily and often; God chooses to use us.  He uses us as His partners in this ministry of reconciliation which began with Jesus.  Jesus gave us a new covenant to live under.  One based entirely on God’s grace; one where we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit which gives us the faith to trust in God’s promises and in is Word.  We are still a work in progress.  We are still God’s handiwork.  God is still shaping and forming us to be what we were created to be and that is the keeper of god’s creation and to be companions with each other starting with our spouse and then our family and then our neighbors.  We were created to live a life of perfect communion and companionship with God.  Yet sin ruined that and made us into clay jars but God still loves us.  That is one of the great wonders of the Bible.  Too often we read the stories in the Bible and then we try and see where we “fit in” the story.  The story is never about us or where we fit in.  The story is always about God and about the very nature of God.  Scriptures reveals that god is a just God demanding payment for a debt.  But it also shows a loving God who sent his only son to die for that debt.  The Bible shows us what great love God has for us by not destroying us for our sins.  It shows God’s patience with us trusting this incredible treasure to us a bunch of cracked clay jars.  First God gives this gift of redemption to us and then He trusts us to carry it forward to the ends of the earth for him. 

    Father of all mercies, keep us safe with in the shelter of your arms.  Protect us your clay jars that we may fulfill your holy ministry.  Guide us to those who are in most desperate need of your love and lead us to share the Good News of salvation which is found in the name of Jesus, in whose precious name we pray,  Amen.  

God’s Peace,

Pastor  Bret