Treasure in Jars of Clay
Devotions on 2 Corinthians 4:1-18
July 20-26, 2020
Monday, Treasure in Jars of Clay
“Therefore, since it is by God’s mercy that we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart” (2 Corinthians 4:1).
Marissa accepted a call to serve a four point parish in rural America. There was no expectation of growing the youth groups, building larger worship centers or accumulating massive endowment funds. The people of those four congregations needed to be loved, however. They needed to hear God’s Word, be nourished at God’s table and encouraged to live out their lives of faith. It was not an easy ministry. Many times Marissa contemplated accepting a different call, or even leaving the ministry completely. She persevered and served that parish for fourteen years. She touched the lives of scores of people.
Carlos retired from his job as custodian at one of the city’s four high schools. At his retirement party, which attracted several hundred people, Carlos was asked why he worked as a custodian for such a long time. He responded that is was a way he served God. He knew the young people needed a clean place to learn and also a daily dose of smiles and words of encouragement. There were times he wanted to quit, but his responsibility to the youth kept him at his calling.
Paul’s Challenges
Paul’s ministry was not an easy one. It included cold, hunger, ship wrecks, beatings, arguments over theological issues and dealing with cantankerous congregations. His companions and he never faltered in their mission. It was their calling—what they were meant to do. They trusted that the Holy Spirit would use their words and actions to glorify God.
No matter what our callings are, we do not need to lose heart. We are called and the Holy Spirit is using us to spread God’s love and grace.
Lord, in the words of an old Sunday school song, “Give us oil in our lamps, keep us burning … keep us burning for the Lord. Amen.
Tuesday,
“We refuse to practice cunning or to falsify God’s word” (2 Corinthians 4:2b).
The gospel of Jesus Christ is difficult to “sell.” One would think it would be easy. Such great news! “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life” (Eph. 2:8-10). It doesn’t seem that being saved—having a relationship with God—is appealing to many people.
Of course there is also Jesus’ instructions to his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it (Mark 8:34-35). Self-denial was never a strong selling point.
Added Incentives
The result is throughout history Christians have added to the gospel message in order to make it more appealing. We have all heard the lies. “Follow Jesus and you will become successful and rich.” “Jesus will heal you of your sickness.” “Your life will be trouble free with Jesus.” Many people have responded to such cunning sales pitches. Eventually they have been disappointed.
Our purpose as followers of Jesus is not to sell salvation. As lights of the world and salt of the earth, our calling is to live in God’s kingdom overflowing with God’s love and grace in service to others. Doing so, we trust that the Holy Spirit will use our words and actions to birth faith in the lives of those around us.
Lord, turn us away from sales pitches and empower us to live authentically as your children and members of our communities. Amen.
Wednesday, Treasure in Jars of Clay
“In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:4).
In the dualism of first century Judaism, Paul was most likely referring to Satan, the opponent of God, when he wrote about the god of this world. Today we rarely view spiritual struggles from that perspective. That doesn’t mean, though, that there are not gods of this world. Today’s gods have been identified as possessions, self, and violence. Our lust after wealth and bling of the world deafen unbelievers and us to the voice of the Spirit. Pride, arrogance, and drive for independence convinces all of us that we don’t need God and blinds us to the needs of others. Our lack of forgiveness pits us against each other and incites us to violence.
The gods of this world have tricked us. They have seduced us and convinced us that they are our friends. They are not friends, though, but enemies. Not only do they turn us away from God, but they dessert us in our times of need.
The Struggle of Faith
As followers of Jesus, we are engaged in a constant struggle with these gods of the world. It is only when we acknowledge that they are false gods and our enemies that we are able, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to gain victory and heed God’s call on our lives.
Lord, hold us tight and draw us away from the gods of this world so that we hear only your voice and see only your love. Amen.
Thursday,
“We proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake” (2Corinthians 4:5).
Cindy was a thirty-two year old lawyer, who worked for a rather prestigious law firm in the city. For several years, she had sensed a certain emptiness in her life. Cindy had spent a significant amount of time during those years on a spiritual quest. She had investigated and sampled several different faiths and spiritual offerings. Eventually Cindy decided to join a congregation of a mainline Christian denomination. A co-worker had invited Cindy to worship with her. When Cindy accepted the invitation and attended a Sunday morning service, things just seemed to fit.
Cindy became an active member of the congregation. She regularly attended worship services and enjoyed meeting other congregational members over coffee and pastries after the service. She joined a small group Bible study, which met weekly. Six or seven months after she joined the congregation, Cindy began to sense that something was missing. There was something more to the Christian faith than congregational activities.
More to Faith
Over coffee Cindy talked to the co-worker who had invited her to the congregation. She shared her concern that there was something more, with her friend and co-worker. Her friend listened and after several minutes said, “I think I know what’s wrong. There’s a lot being poured into your life, but nothing is being poured out. Christianity is more than basking in God’s love and grace. It is also responding to God’s love and grace by serving others.” The co-worker went on to explain some of the service ministries that were available in the congregation.
Soon Cindy was involved in an English as a Second Language ministry. It was necessary for her to cut back on her small group involvement, but Cindy felt a balance in her spiritual life.
Paul had it right. The Christian faith is both proclaiming Jesus as Lord and identifying ourselves as servants of others.
Open our eyes, Lord, so that we can see the opportunities that exist to serve others. Use our talents and abilities to meet the needs of others. Amen.
Friday, Treasure in Jars of Clay
“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).
True leaders lead by example. Paul was a leader in the early Christian church. Though he was not one of the original disciples/apostles, he was considered an apostle. The church had sent Paul and his companions to regions, in present day Turkey and Greece, in order to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ and begin congregations. In his ministry, Paul had suffered many hardships. He had also experienced several spiritual highs. Paul had also been the source of many miracles.
It would have been easy for people to place Paul on a pedestal. People in the congregations that Paul started might have longed to participate in Paul’s adventures. They might have tried to have the spiritual experiences that Paul had, and dreamed about being used by the Holy Spirit to accomplish miracles. They might have wanted to be “perfect” like Paul.
Not perfection, but Service
Paul knew that the gospel of Jesus Christ was not a call to perfection. Rather, it was a message of good news to jars broken by sin and failure, and containers cracked by pain and suffering. God sent God’s love to the non-perfect creatures of God’s creation. The life, death and resurrection of Jesus not only proclaimed God’s love for all people, but assured them that God would use their words and deeds for God’s glory. We are holy clay pots used to glorify God.
Use us, Lord, with all of our imperfections to your glory. Amen.
Saturday, Treasure in Jars of Clay
“We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9).
Those who gather for worship on Sunday mornings are a demonstration of the power of the Holy Spirit. The focus on Sunday morning might be on the liturgy, the singing, the sermon or even Holy Communion. That isn’t where the power is, though. The power is in the people.
Gathered together on Sunday morning are spouses who have been emotionally, verbally or physically abused. There are men and women who have been sexually molested. Several of the children have endured bullying by their classmates. Blacks, Latinos, Native Americans and other minorities have experienced the systemic racism in the United States and other nations. Mixed in the gathered worshipers are business people dealing with failures, parents struggling with wayward teens, individuals attempting to overcome addictions, and others who are coming to terms with who they really are.
Community of Survivors
The people who come together to worship the Lord on Sunday morning are the walking wounded. They are also the survivors. When they gather they celebrate that they have not been crushed, driven to despair, forsaken nor destroyed. The Lord has been with them every step of the way. God will be with them as they step into the future.
Life was never guaranteed to be easy. No matter what we face, though, we will endure. We will do more than that—we will be victorious.
Lord, when we come to the end of our ropes, help us hang on. If we can’t hang on any longer catch us when we fall. Amen.
Sunday, Treasure in Jars of Clay
“So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:16-17).
Health does not come naturally. If it did there would be no obesity, no high cholesterol, no high blood pressure and not adult onset diabetes. If we want to enjoy the benefits of health, we need to exercise frequently and eat properly. There is no smoking or recreational drug use. Alcohol is to be enjoyed in moderation. Now there is the added activity of wearing a face mask whenever we are in public.
By God’s grace, the Holy Spirit gifts us with faith and life from above. It is the Spirit’s intention to keep us spiritually healthy, to renew our inner nature day by day and to strengthen and mature our faith. We are able to encourage the ministry of the Spirit in our lives and open our inner selves to the renewing activity of the Spirit. We do this by practicing various spiritual disciplines.
Spiritual Disciplines
For centuries, Christians have been renewed in their inner beings by engaging in such activities as prayer and meditation. Centering Prayer enables participants to rest in God’s presence. Devotional reading of the Bible and study of the Scriptures allows the Spirit to speak to our hearts. Worship turns our attention from the cares and concerns of the world to the love and grace of the creator of that world. Service enables us to be refreshed by the Spirit as we are used to meet the needs of others.
The Lord wants us to be completely healthy—in body, mind and spirit.
Refresh and renew us, O Holy Spirit, that we may be more useful vessels in your hands. Amen.