Rocks

Posted by Mark Mong

March 24, 2020

2 Corinthians 4:7-18

⁷ But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. ⁸ We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; ¹⁰ always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies. ¹¹ For while we live, we are always being given up to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be made visible in our mortal flesh. ¹² So death is at work in us, but life in you.

¹³ But just as we have the same spirit of faith that is in accordance with scripture—“I believed, and so I spoke”—we also believe, and so we speak, ¹⁴ because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and will bring us with you into his presence. ¹⁵ Yes, everything is for your sake, so that grace, as it extends to more and more people, may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

¹⁶ So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, ¹⁸ because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.

In ninth grade science, I had to study geology with my science teacher.  I was about that excited to study rocks, and someone else’s rocks at that.  In one class, we were studying sedimentary rocks, which are rocks formed by compressing silt and sand together to form a rock layer; and the teacher held up a large piece of sandstone, which can be found just about everywhere.  We were all completely bored at this point, not only as we were studying rocks, but rocks made from dirt.  Yay (with great sarcasm).  That is until he opened the rock and showed us the inside.  Inside this enormous rock, was a hollow cavern filled with large purple crystals.  It looked like this.

On the outside it looked like a plain, ordinary piece of hard dirt, but on the inside was this profound and quite beautiful treasure.  We learned that in geology this idea of a rock having a cavern on the inside where water evaporates and leaves behind mineral crystals is called a geode.  Rock on the outside, treasure on the inside.

So too is it with us, the church.  On the outside we are clay jars, on the inside we have this treasure of the Holy Spirit.  On the outside we look and act as fragile, temporary vessels that crack and break under the slightest stress or difficulty. But on the inside, we have this Might, eternal Power that no force can crack or break or destroy.  In every appearance we look weak, breakable and feeble but on the inside, we have Power and Glory in the Spirit of Jesus Christ.  As Paul writes in 2 Corinthians we have this treasure but we have this treasure in clay jars: needy, ineffectual, and brittle.

With so much sickness and death surrounding us on all sides, we need no prompting or reminders of our being clay jars.  We are certainly afflicted on all sides by the virus.  We are certainly perplexed by the uncertainties of the future in the economy, our jobs, or whether the store will have food.  We are certainly hunted by the invisible killer, that cares little for one’s life in so much as it cares only about the voracious drive to slay.  Lastly, as we are reminded every day at 2pm by President and Governor, we are certainly struck down in disdain and malice by an nonliving virus that seeks to take our lives from us.

While you and I need no invitation to see ourselves as fragile, brittle clay jars, perhaps we do need reminded about the treasure that lies within.  We are told in the scriptures, so we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day.  Even though the outer fragile, nature of ours breaks and dies, our inner nature is being renewed and strengthened daily.  We do not lose heart at the falling apart of the outer pieces of us, we are instead believing that we will be held and maintained from the inside.  Even when we do not have our lives together or have a grasp over the situation; we are kept and sustained by the Power and Ability of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. 

So, Paul writes that we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair;persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.  We might break as clay vessels, but the treasure keeps us within.  Pushed down by the virus, but never crushed.  Perplexed by confusion and uncertainty, but never out of God’s control that we should despair.  Hunted by the insatiable virus, but never abandoned or forsaken by God.  Thrown down in struggle and death, but never thrown out into destruction.  For you see we are God’s geode, clay vessels, weak and brittle on the outside, but treasured, sustained and held by the Spirit of Jesus Christ on the inside.

So, my friends in this moment what are you looking at?  Are you looking at the things you can see and see in abundance; at the weakness of our flesh, at the brittleness of our society, at the confusion and foolish political games played by our elected officials, at the emptiness of checking accounts or grocery shelves?  Or are you looking at the things you can’t see but instead hear, the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will bring us with you into his presence.  These things you see will pass away, because they are only temporary, but the things you can’t see but instead hear, will never pass away, because they rest in the permanent and eternal Word of God.

Therefore, instead of looking at the fragility of our human lives, as we all know we are clay jars, let us instead look at through the eyes of faith and see the treasure within.  For we are a kept people.  For we are a resurrection people.  For we are God’s people.  Even though we are afflicted, we will never be crushed.  Even though we are confused we will never despair.  Even though we are hunted we will never be abandoned.  Even though we are struck down, we will never be destroyed.  Because we are God’s geode, fragile dirt on the outside, God’s Power and Glory within.  Let us not lose heart, let us gain the Spirit of Jesus Christ and at long last, learn to live.  Amen. 

Prayer

O Loving and Powerful God, we thank you for your grace and love that lives within us and keeps us through every moment of every day.  As we are reminded daily of life’s fragility and temporariness, turn the eyes of our hearts to the treasure within, the Power and Love of Jesus’ Spirit that keeps us and will raise us to eternal life.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

---