Rooted In His WordMinta

Christians have something that is very valuable. Indeed, Christians have a treasure. What is the treasure? The Apostle Paul described it this way: “For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (II Corinthians 4:6). Just as God’s material light shines in the darkness, so God’s spiritual light, which is the life of Christ Jesus (John 1:4-5), shines in our souls so that those in spiritual darkness may see. This light is, as Paul refers to it in our verse for today, a “surpassing power” that enables us to shine the new life of Christ into every area of life, both for our own benefit and for those to whom we minister.

As Paul points out, however, we have this treasure in jars of clay. That is, although the very light and life of Christ Jesus shines in our souls, our souls are contained in bodily vessels that are weak and fragile. They are vessels that are subject to pressures, perplexities, and persecutions (II Corinthians 4:8). The contrast could not be greater. On the one hand, there is life and light, and on the other hand there is difficulty and trouble. In this dispensation we minister the life and light that is within our souls, but through bodily jars of clay that suffer things despite the treasure.

Why is this so? Why do we still suffer when we have such power within us? Our verse says the reason is that everyone needs to know that the source of the power is God and not us. After all, if everything always went well, if everything was always light and life, then people might believe that it was just us, that it was just the way we are. When the light and life come through a broken vessel, however, it’s difficult for people to make this mistake. Thus, we are allowed to suffer pressures, perplexities, and persecutions, even while the light and life we have within our soul shines new life into every area of life.

We have an incredibly valuable treasure within us. But it’s all God. It’s not us. Our trouble and difficulty make that plain for everyone to see.