“But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;

2 Corinthians 4:7-9

God chooses to put His infinite treasure and glory, in us; fragile clay jars. He does this so that any power or glory is only found in Him and not in us. 

We are broken vessels holding the most precious treasure. So that, when others look at us, they never see us, but they see the One who is in us. Christ uses broken vessels so that His name and His renown will be the main desire of our hearts.-- This truth makes it impossible to be self seeking, and makes it our desire to be Christ seeking. 

Christ gives us worth.

The treasure gives value to the jar. God’s glory gives us value. Before coming to Christ, we were worthless fragile clay jars, but now we have significant value and eternal worth, not because something we have done, but because Christ has been added to us. When we come to know Christ, He doesn’t make us into a new vessel, instead, we are still a fragile clay jar as we were before, but now have the greatest treasure inside of us. In Christ, we become a new creation, not because we become better, but because the best thing is added to us; Jesus. This doesn’t mean we never change, it means that we are changed because of Christ alone. God doesn’t make us a “worthy vessel” before He puts His treasure inside. Instead, He puts His treasure inside, and that’s what makes us worthy. Because of this, when people look at us, they don’t see us, but instead see Christ in us. 

WITHOUT CHRIST: we are fragile clay jars, empty and powerless. We are afflicted and crushed, perplexed and driven to despair, persecuted and forsaken, struck down and destroyed.

WITH CHRIST: “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 2 Corinthians 4:7-9