“A Jug of Mud” -- II Corinthians 4: 7-12
Today’s society loves credentials, titles, and position. The Apostle Paul wasn’t like this at all. In fact, he presented himself to the people in Corinth as a jug of mud. Paul knew that when all was said and done that he was a jar of clay-- fragile, vanishing, and temporal. That did not lessen the vital role Paul played-- God had gifted him for service.
A Treasure in a Jar:
In II Cor. 4:7, Paul used the first person plural pronoun we to refer to all the apostles and their fellow ministers. Paul, James, John, Peter, and the rest of the apostles were clay pots, jugs of mud, and fragile ceramic vessels. God triumphs in the lives of Christians who know all too well the weakness of their humanity.
In the ancient world, people kept hidden treasures in earthenware bottles. The plowman in the parable found in Matthew 13:44 who found the hidden treasure would’ve immediately placed it in an earthenware bottle.
There is remarkable contrast in the phrase a treasure in a clay jar:
--Something uncommon hidden in something common.
--Something durable hidden in something breakable.
--Something of value hidden in something of not much value.
--Something attractive hidden in something unattractive.
Think of an inexpensive contained in your home that serves the function of pouring or holding. What is more valuable to you? Circle it.
The service it renders or the item it holds. The container itself.
How are we like that container? ____________________________________
Sometimes, We may see our service as meager and/or inconsequential. We may be tempted to say, surely if Paul thought of himself as a clay pot, what must I be in comparison? Let’s always remember though what we hold inside-- a treasure of great value!
