Grace

Those of you who are regular readers of this blog may have noticed the (inadvertent) challenge I set you last week, where I neglected to find out the reference for the quote ‘to live is Christ and to die is gain’. It was Philippians 1:21, as a quick internet search shows. Not wanting to interrupt the flow of my thought, I put a note to myself in bold capitals to find out the reference … only neglected to do so, and it went on the internet like that. I have only myself to blame, especially as I remember a similar incident when studying for my A-levels, when I left a blank to find out a fact later, and never got back to fill it in. Note to self: find out references immediately!

There is more than an apology in my mentioning it this week, though, as it fits in well with my theme; and this week I have the references for the quotes I intend to use to hand (it’s the ones that come as I type that are more difficult). So let’s go to 2 Corinthians 4, and in particular verse 7. We have this treasure in earthenware vessels: mistakes like the above can remind us of how fragile our earthen vessels are. To be honest, and I’m not a bible scholar, I suspect that Paul is not necessarily talking about mistakes in this passage, but the fragility, the persecution, all he has gone through in order to preach the Gospel.  For that is the treasure: read verses 5 and 6. It is that treasure which we hold in our hearts, that shines through the earthenware vessels of our lives. I’ve always seen it as a pottery jar, with cracks in it. The cracks are not deliberate, but the result of mistakes, of weaknesses, both by us and to us. Yet it is through those cracks that the light of God shines out.

However, that is not an excuse to not bother, to be lax about our faults. In verse 5, Paul makes it clear that the Gospel he preaches is not himself, but Jesus as Lord: that is the focus of his ministry, of his entire life. It is that which shines through, it is that which is the treasure contained in earthenware jars: for the power is God’s, not ours. So, I ask: how clear are we about that in our own lives? How much do we focus on ‘preaching’ ourselves, rather than Christ, even if unconsciously? How much do we allow Jesus to be truly ‘Lord’ in our own lives? How far do we allow the attitude of Paul, as shown in vs 7-12, to dominate in our difficult times, or do we allow ourselves to get dragged down by self-pity? That’s not to say that we should not find difficult times tough, or hard to bear, by the way. I’m sure Paul found being afflicted, persecuted and struck down difficult. Isn’t that the point of what he is saying? That in these difficult times he was being given over to death so that Jesus’ life might be manifested.

 It is in 2 Corinthians that the ‘boasting’ passage comes, one which people often find difficult. I think Paul knew that; he is boasting of his weaknesses, not because he wants to (see 2 Corinthians 12:11) but because he is making a point to the Corinthians about apostleship, more for their sake than his. Paul knows what he believes, and he is prepared to stand up for the truth of the Gospel, in whatever way will make the point to the fledgling Christians in his care. We should be grateful, perhaps: it is in 2 Corinthians 12 that he talks of his ‘messenger from Satan’; that he is told that God’s grace is sufficient for him, for God’s power is made perfect in weakness (see 2 Corinthians 12:7-10). It is another way in which we have the treasure of the Gospel in earthenware jars: it is in our weaknesses that God’s power can shine through. Again, this is not a reason to ignore, revel in or excuse our faults. While last week’s mistake proved useful in beginning this week’s blog, it was still a mistake I should not have made, even while I do not flog myself for it. We can accept the imperfection of ourselves and our world, but it is only in our focus being on God, on the Good News of Jesus Christ, that God’s power can shine through our weaknesses. There are some faults that have a far wider impact than forgetting to find out a reference, and that damage the Gospel of Christ. I come back to that point: where is our focus? How much are we focused on God and how much on ourselves? How far do we allow the Grace of God to shine through in our lives?