Clay Jars

Do you know what the first thing I remember noticing about Mother Teresa?  She didn't look like much. What I saw was a little old wrinkled and bent over woman. But what my eyes saw was only the container of the powerhouse that was Mother Teresa.

Have you ever read the physical descriptions that tradition has passed down regarding the apostle Paul?  He was said to be a short, bald, bow-legged little man with bushy eyebrows. He may not have been much to look at but he was a Gospel steamroller on the inside. 

All the rather impressive paintings aside, the actual biblical description of Jesus, recorded by Isaiah the prophet was that "He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him" (Isa 53:2).  

Appearances not only can be deceiving but for those in whom the Spirit of God dwells, appearances will absolutely be deceiving for we mere humans containing the very presence of God within. As the apostle Paul put it, "we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us" (2 Cor 4:7).  

In ancient times, the good stuff, like choice wine, would be in gold or silver pictures, jars of clay held common fair. Not only common but sometimes what would be called ignoble such as a chamber pot or bedpan in our venacular. Not very special on the surface. 

But God, unlike man, "God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not —to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him …(1 Cor 1:28-29).  God chose to use just regular folks to present his power to the world - folks like you and me for it is not how we stand among men but how we kneel before The Lord that determines our true value. 

In Christ we are clay jars filled with heavenly treasure. Jus' Sayn.