As Paul describes his ministry in 2 Corinthians, I appreciate that he doesn’t pretend that things aren’t difficult (or sometimes downright awful), but he does offer hope in all sorts of bad situations. In each of his examples, it seems like something is done to him, but yet he gets through it.
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
2 Corinthians 4:7-9 NIV
For the rest of us who are carrying the same treasure (the good news about Jesus Christ), we may also be “hard pressed” (NIV) or “afflicted” (NASB). If we think about a clay pot, it’s just one drop onto the concrete away from being shattered, but yet – with God’s help – Paul gets through trials, day after day, and we can do the same.
To be clear, this is not God preventing us from receiving any opposition. It’s like He lets us take the hits, but allows us to hold up under them without breaking I think of this like a blocker pad, made out of foam with a cover, kind of like a vinyl couch cushion. By itself, a taekwondo student or peewee football player can easily pick up a blocker pad and throw it around. That’s us without God – these “jars of clay”. However, when a strong instructor or coach is holding the blocker pad, the athlete may struggle mightily to move the blocker pad, no matter how hard they punch, kick, or try to tackle it. That’s us with God supporting us: when we’re done, God has kept us from being crushed, despite the efforts of evil forces trying to break us.
Similarly, we are “perplexed”. (That sounds like a state I get in at work, where computers don’t seem to do what they are told to do.) However, no matter what we don’t understand, God gives us the ability to not despair. We can trust Him for what we don’t understand.
Again, persecution isn’t something that God shields us from. Following Jesus isn’t some sort of exclusion from experiencing resistance. However, when persecution does come, God never leaves us. There’s a lot to be said for having just one other person standing up for you when others are giving you trouble. Knowing that we’re not alone against the mob is a game-changer. We don’t just have another Christian with us, though (although it’s great when we do). More than that, we have God our Father standing up for us.
Some people talk about getting up each time they are knocked down. That’s not bad, but here I think that a Christian’s success in adversity is less about us getting up again, versus God picking us up or at least allowing us the ability to keep going after we take a hit.
In the end, going back to verse 7, the goal here isn’t that we regret our weaknesses, or that God somehow made a mistake in letting us experience suffering. Instead, by the very fact that it is entirely unreasonable to expect our finite, fragile selves to be able to hold up in these situations on our own, it becomes even more clear that we are blessed by the power of God, which vastly transcends anything that the opposition can throw at us.
From Sunday School lesson prepared for May 12, 2024
References:
- The Lookout, May 12, 2024, © 2024 Christian Standard Media.
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Copyright by The Lockman Foundation.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – 2 Corinthians, by William R. Baker. © 1999 College Press Publishing Co.
Those Who Sin Differently 