Message: Treasure in Clay Jars / 2 Corinthians 4:5-12

Paul was one of the most passionate missionaries in the early church. Initially, he was a religious leader who eagerly arrested Christians. However, his life was completely changed when he encountered Jesus Christ. After he experienced the presence of Christ, he went from persecuting Christians to being persecuted for his faith in Christ. The Acts of the Apostles describes his transformative moment as "like scales falling from his eyes." Experiencing the grace of Jesus Christ gave him a new perspective. The world hadn't changed at all, but he began to see it differently. He started to understand the hope to which God called him. He saw the riches of God's glorious inheritance. He recognized the immeasurable greatness of God's power for those who believed. (Ephesians 1:18-20)

After seeing new hope, Paul became a passionate missionary, spreading the gospel of Christ throughout the world. He and his companions travelled from city to city to proclaim the gospel, help the poor, and build faith communities. He also wrote letters to congregations and individuals, addressing theological and ethical issues. Later, some of these letters were included in the New Testament.

However, despite Paul's dedication, some people in the church questioned his credentials as a leader. They doubted him because of the mistakes he had made before his conversion. Some of them even went to the churches he had founded to speak against him. One such church was the congregation in Corinth, as mentioned in our first scripture reading today.

In response to these hostile words, Paul did not emphasize his dedication or sacrifice for the growth of the Christian community. Although he was very critical of those who distorted Christ's teachings and misused the Christian faith in an exclusive and legalistic way, Paul did not directly respond to the accusations questioning his role in the church. Instead, he described himself as a 'clay jar' (4:7). This term appears only twice in the New Testament. One is here in today's text, and the other is in 2 Timothy: “In a large house, there are utensils (jars) not only of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for special use, some for ordinary.” (2:20) 

Clay jars were not fancy or shiny; they were inexpensive and fragile. Paul referred to himself as a clay jar because he was well aware of his vulnerabilities, limitations, shadows, and weaknesses. As a clay jar, he was afflicted, perplexed, persecuted, and struck down.

However, what mattered was that even though Paul was like a clay jar, he knew that inside him lived the treasure, Jesus Christ. His life overflowed with the love and hope of Christ. Because he knew he was not just an empty clay jar, but a clay jar that contained treasure, he could confess like this: “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; we are perplexed, but not driven to despair; we are persecuted, but not forsaken; we are struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies.” (4:8-10)

There's a Korean comedy movie I enjoyed called "Let's Play, Dharma (2001)." (In Buddhist tradition, Dharma means God or ultimate truth.) In this movie, a group of gangsters in crisis seek refuge in a Buddhist monastery for safety. The abbot of the monastery allows the gangsters to stay, but the other monks are unhappy with the decision.

The conflict between the monks and gangsters gets more intense, and the monks go to the abbot and beg him to kick the gang out. The abbot hears their plea and calls both the monks and the gang together for a meeting, setting one condition: if the monks can answer his question, the gang will leave; if the gang can answer it, they can stay. Then, he brings out a big clay jar with a chipped bottom and a hole in it and asks them how they can fill the jar with water.

None of them can easily find the answer. After several wrong answers are given, the leader of the gang suddenly stands up with the clay jar and starts running towards the pond. Everyone follows him in a daze. When he gets to the pond, he jumps in with the jar. As the jar sinks into the water, it fills with water.

This scene is crucial because it shows the central message of the entire movie. Before arriving at the monastery, the gangsters were like clay jars with holes. Nothing could mend their shattered lives. They attempted to fill the emptiness inside them with money and power through violence, but all they received in return was the looming threat of death. The abbot accepted them with mercy; he understood that experiencing unconditional and immeasurable mercy would liberate them from the fear and despair stemming from their deep wounds.

In a way, we're all like clay jars. We, too, are easily broken and hurt, and sometimes our lives seem to have a big hole caused by painful moments, leading us to feel lonely or empty. In particular, comparing ourselves to others makes us feel even smaller. When looking at magazines like People or social media like Facebook, it seems like everyone else is like gold or silver jars except for me.

But we don't need to be discouraged because we might be like clay jars, but we have treasure inside us. We might be weak, but Christ's love is stronger than anything in the world. When we look within ourselves, we can find the light of Christ that brightens our entire lives. We have this congregation where we can experience God’s unconditional and immeasurable love, which liberates us from fear and despair.

Through Paul’s words, the Holy Spirit reminds us that we are clay jars that hold the treasure, the grace and glory of Jesus Christ. When we embrace this truth, we can say like Paul, “We are afflicted, but not crushed; We are perplexed, but not driven to despair; We are persecuted, but not forsaken; We are struck down, but not destroyed.”

Thanks be to God. Amen.

Rev. Min Hwang
South Stormont Pastoral Charge
(Ingleside-Newington United Church & St.Andrew's-St. Mark's Untied Church)
Second Sunday after Pentecost, 2024