2 Corinthians 4:7-12

2 Corinthians 4:7-12

And we have this treasure in vessels of clay, in that the abundance of power should be out of God and not out of us: while being persecuted in every way but while not being hemmed in, while being uncertain but while not being in despair, while being systematically persecuted but while not being forsaken, while being struck in considerable pain but while not being destroyed, while carrying around at all times the death of Jesus in the body in order that the life of Jesus should also be fully known in the body.  For we who live are continually being handed over into death because of Jesus in order that the life of Jesus should be fully known in our mortal bodies.    Therefore death is at work in us, but life in you.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

This section contains an often quoted analogy from Paul.  We are like clay vessels.  Paul’s point is that clay vessels are easily broken.  Normally you put valuable treasure in a place where it can be kept safe and protected.  But God does the opposite of this.  God puts His greatest treasure in us.  Yet we are easily broken.  We will all die.  We don’t always protect the treasure of God as He has given it to us.  Why does God do this?  He does this because everything is in His power.  If we mess up, He can fix it so that it works out to His will.  In the end when we are ultimately broken, God can put us back together into a new form that will never be broken.  It is a great mystery of God that He loves us as He does even though we are easily broken and less than ideal in form.  But He does it so that we and the world know that it is through His power and to His glory, not our own.

Do you see yourself as a clay pot?  Why is seeing ourselves as a clay pot important to our spiritual walk?  Why do we prefer to see ourselves as something more substantial, such as an iron vessel?

Second Thought:

Paul then gives us a laundry list of things that can go wrong.  Physical persecution.  Beatings.  Brought to within an inch of death.  Uncertainty.  Systematically persecuted with intention.  But Paul also reminds us that none of these things were final.  Although they were persecuted, they were never hemmed in.  While they were uncertain about the future they were never in despair.  While they were beaten to within an inch of death they were not actually killed.  So what makes this all worth it?  What makes it worth it is that Jesus has been there.  Jesus actually died and God brought Him into new life.  We endure all things for the sake of Christ because He endured death so that we can live.  We put up with everything that the world can throw at us because we know the promise of God that will come upon us in the end.

When have you experienced systematic persecution, physical oppression, or personal uncertainty?  How does God help you overcome such things?

Third Thought:

In the end, the biggest way to make the love of Christ known to the world is through sacrifice – especially sacrifice for someone else.  Paul acknowledges that he and his associates are constantly being handed over into death.  For the record, this is the same verb that the Gospel writers use to speak about what Judas does to Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane: paradidomi (παραδίδωμι).  Paul knows that every time he talks about Jesus it is an opportunity for the world to hate him.  He knows that every word about Christ is an opportunity for someone to hand him over into persecution.  Yet he still does it because we are called to make Jesus known to the world.

Are you willing to be handed over to the world’s oppression for the sake of making Christ known?  How do you live this out?

Passage for Tomorrow: 2 Corinthians 4:13-15