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哥林多后书4：7-12：7我们有这宝贝放在瓦器里，要显明这莫大的能力，是出于神，不是出于我们。8我们四面受敌，却不被困住；心里作难，却不至失望；9遭逼迫，却不被丢弃；打倒了，却不至死亡。10身上常带着耶稣的死，使耶稣的生也显明在我们身上。11因为我们这活着的人，是常为耶稣被交于死地，使耶稣的生，在我们这必死的身上显明出来。12这样看来，死是在我们身上发动，生却在你们身上发动。
我喜欢圣经中的这段话。保罗用了一个生动的画面，他称我们为瓦器。在古代，瓦器相当于今日的塑料容器，用来储存各种干湿货物。不幸的是，瓦器非常脆弱，如果掉在地上或是撞在其他东西上，就很容易碎裂。如果你曾经见过中东地区的古代城市的遗迹，你会发现新的城市覆盖在旧的城市上形成土堆，你走上一圈，会发现城市的地基外面有成千上万的陶器碎片。一个陶器用了一段时间，碎了，人们就把它扔了。
但和我们今天使用的塑料容器不同，瓦器在非常实用的同时也非常漂亮。这些瓦器上面有精致的图案，甚至被涂上美丽的颜色。我们在上帝的手中也是如此。他将他福音这个宝贝放到我们身上，他藉着我们得荣耀；因为藉着他的恩典，他使我们的生命变得美丽。虽然我们软弱易碎，但藉着他的恩典，我们没有被压垮，没有绝望，没有被撇弃，没有灭亡。因为虽然你只是一件瓦器，但要记住你是上帝的瓦器！
实际上，神恰恰在我们的软弱中得荣耀。这也是圣经一再强调的主题。他拣选了没有什么名气的基甸作为士师，给了他一支不能被算为军队的军队，最终打败了米甸人让上帝得荣耀。他拣选了一个放羊的男孩，他是家里面个头最矮的。但他打败了歌利亚，为以色列人赢得了一场胜利。他拣选了自己的独生子，他反倒谦卑虚己来到这个世界，他并没有藉着佳形美容来吸引我们，但他却拯救这个世界脱离罪和死亡。他还拣选了你和我，我们这些瓦器，将救恩的好消息带给全世界。
祷告：主耶稣，我的软弱根本不是我的软弱，而是一个让你得荣耀的理由。请提醒我，在今生所有的困难和挫折面前，我不会被压垮，不会绝望，不会被丢弃，也不会灭亡。主啊，请你使用我，保守住福音这个宝贝，并将它带给全世界。阿们。
2 Corinthians 4: 7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11 For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. 12 So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. (NIV)
I love this paragraph in Scripture. Paul uses a vivid picture when he calls us jars of clay. The clay jar was the plastic container in ancient times. It was used to store all kinds of wet and dry goods. Unfortunately, they were also very fragile and would break if dropped or bumped hard. If you look at a “tel” in the Middle East, the mounds on which cities were built, you can walk around and see thousands of potsherds outside the city’s foundation. You used a pot for a while, it broke, and you dumped over the city wall.
But unlike our plastic containers today, pottery was also very beautiful while being very useful. Those clay pots had intricate patterns or were even glazed in beautiful colors. That’s what we are in the hands of our God. We are the place where he deposits his treasures of the gospel, and through whom he is glorified as he makes our lives beautiful by his grace. And while we are weak and fragile, by his grace we are not crushed, we are not in despair, we are not abandoned, we are not destroyed. Because while you may be a clay jar, remember that you are GOD’S clay jar!
In fact, God is especially glorified in our weakness. Isn’t that the theme of Scripture over and over again? He chose Gideon, who was nobody, and gave him an army that wasn’t an army, so that God was glorified in Midian’s defeat. He chose a shepherd boy who was the runt of the litter to destroy Goliath and win the victory for Israel. He chose his only Son, who made himself nothing and who had no beauty that we should be attracted to him, to deliver the world from sin and death. And he chooses you and me, clay jars, to bring the message of salvation to the world.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, my weakness is not my weakness at all, but only a reason for you to be glorified. Remind me that in all the difficulties and frustrations in this life, I am not crushed. I am not in despair. I am not abandoned or destroyed. Use me, Lord, to hold the treasures of the gospel and carry them to the world. Amen.