Olivia Hitz
“But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you” 2 Cor. 4:7-11 (ESV).
In this letter to the Corinthians, Paul compares us to jars of clay, ordinary and fragile vessels used to contain something greater than ourselves. And he couldn’t be more right about us. Trials of this life push in on us daily, threatening to break our delicate frame. We are afflicted, perplexed, persecuted, and struck down- all of which should have the power to break us and shatter us to pieces. But we have the extraordinary power of God within us, and He provides us with the strength to withstand suffering. The Holy Spirit dwells within us and counteracts the pressure from this world so that we aren’t crushed, driven to despair, abandoned, or destroyed.
But this can be hard to remember. All around me I see ways that sin has polluted my community and caused pain to the Church. I see loved ones sick and dying, people living in poverty, families being torn apart, young people denying their faith, and Christians being persecuted. Is this not what being crushed and driven to despair looks like? Thankfully, no. This is not the end. In Christ, we are never truly to the point of despair. Paul continues in verses 16-18 and tells us:
“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” 2 Cor. 4:16-18 (ESV).
Even amidst all this suffering, Paul is telling us that we can have hope because we know that Jesus has Heaven waiting for us. He suffered on the cross perfectly and paid the ultimate price for our sins and our sufferings. In Luke 9:23, Jesus tells us, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.” When we suffer, we can show Christ and His love through our mortal flesh. In trials and afflictions, we are drawn closer to God and His mercy when we become fully reliant on Him. In this way, suffering is a gift. You get to show Christ’s life and love to others through carrying the death of Jesus in your body. And you have a promise from God that He will never abandon you or leave you to be crushed. He will comfort you and strengthen you from within your jar of clay. Thanks be to God!