But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us. 2 Corinthians 4:7
A number of people were killed in violent demonstrations in Afghanistan and other Moslem countries because of reports of a Florida pastor who was planning to hold a ceremony in which he would burn copies of the Koran, the so-called holy book of the Mohammedan religion. To those protesters, and to millions of other Moslems, the very paper and ink used to print those books had become holy. And they were ready to die to protest against such a desecration. In contrast, the Word of God, the Bible, may also often be burned or desecrated, but nobody raises any alarm or protest. In reality, there is a good reason for that (although I certainly do not condone in any way the desecration of Bibles). The cover of your Bible might well say ‘Holy Bible’. But that which is holy is not the paper and ink from which our Bibles are printed, but the holiness applies to the words that the paper and ink present to us. In other words, the paper and ink are just the earthen vessels that contain the greatest treasure this world has ever known.
Although Paul in today’s text is not talking about Bibles but about Christians, the principle is the same. We usually think of Bibles being printed neatly on high-quality paper, but you can go to a dollar store anywhere and, for a toonie and a few pennies in tax, buy a Bible. The printing may be crude and the paper coarse, but the words are the Word of God. In the same way, God certainly has placed His Spirit within some of the crude and unlikely specimens of humanity. The grace of God is highlighted often by how low He will stoop to pick up a sinner for Himself. Every Christian will admit his sinnership, and his undeserving claim on God’s Salvation. Every Gospel preacher must confess that he is incapable of saving, or even helping to save, lost souls. But the Gospel of Christ is a great treasure that God has committed to earthen vessels. The more we realize our weakness and our helplessness in the spread of the Gospel, the more we rely on God and His striving with sinners.
To whom does glory belong when a sinner trusts Christ? Not to any earthen vessel who preached, prayed, or supported the effort to reach that sinner. To God be the glory; let us praise the excellency of His power. -Jim MacIntosh