Jars of Clay

Jars of Clay

2 Corinthians 4:1-12

            For a long time two things have kept me from liking Paul.  The first is the comments he made about women.  When he says “Women, submit yourselves to your husbands,” he loses me.  Statements like this have been used by unscrupulous men to subjugate women, in some cases to abuse them physically, emotionally and psychologically.  One of my former students told me that she tolerated her boyfriend hitting her because his mother and sister convinced her that sometimes women need to be beaten. 

Many men lay their misogynistic behavior at Paul’s door.  I hold him responsible for not being more responsible with what he wrote.  At the same time I realize that this is not the only scriptural concept that has been misinterpreted.

The other problem I have with Paul is his ego.  When he tells his readers to, “imitate me,” he comes across as being full of himself.  Who is he that we should use him as a behavioral example?  Aren’t we supposed to imitate Christ?  Doesn’t Paul say that himself?  Why should we imitate the image instead of the first edition?

But then Paul turns around and says something that demonstrates his humility, and I have to give him credit for realizing that he is no better than anyone else.  Like the rest of us he has faults.  Like the rest of us he doesn’t always express himself perfectly.  Like the rest of us he falls short of the glory of Christ.

Paul begins chapter four of his second letter to the Corinthian church with these words: “Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of Christ…”  Paul was commissioned by Jesus to be a missionary to the Gentiles.  Jesus met him on the Damascus road, challenged him, called him, and sent him.  Paul spent the rest of his life in that ministry.  He knew this wasn’t his idea, or his choice.  He had been chosen.  He honored that call and gave himself to the one who had changed his life.

For the next five verses Paul talks about the light of the gospel, the light of God that shines through the life, deeds, and words of Jesus Christ to enlighten the world.  This is the message Paul and his companions proclaimed throughout the Mediterranean world.

Beginning in the eighth verse Paul lists his trials and the lack of effect they have had on the efforts of his missionary band.  It’s quite a list.  When we read the account of Paul’s journeys in Acts we find many events that illustrate this list.

Verse seven serves as a transition from the ministry description to the mission description.  “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.”

Paul knows he is nothing without the power of Jesus Christ.  It is Christ acting in him and through him that makes his ministry possible.  He may be an excellent mouthpiece for God, but without the gospel he would be nothing more than “a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.”  (1 Corinthians 13:1) 

Gongs and cymbals lack the ability to play melody and harmony.  In their limited way they serve to enhance a piece of music, but they’re not why we go to concerts or buy recordings.  We want to hear voices, violins, trumpets, clarinets—instruments that create beautiful melodies and harmonies.  That is what the gospel does for Paul.  It gives him music that touches the heart.

It isn’t Paul who creates the beautiful music.  It is Christ, working in the jar of clay we call Paul—and in our jars of clay—who brings light and beautiful sound to the world.