In
ancient times there were no banks as we know them. So people would
keep their valuables and treasure hidden, and they would keep it in
everyday containers like clay jars, tucked away in a secret place or
buried in the ground.
Paul
makes good use of the contrast between the clay and the treasure. The
cheap, rough, material of a clay jar is totally different from the
refined, precious jewels and coins it may contain. And Paul compares
the treasure to the precious message of salvation that God calls us
to share in Jesus’ name, despite all our earthy weaknesses and
sinfulness.
How
precious are the “wonderful words of life,” the message of
forgiveness through God’s love and grace, the news of Jesus’
victory over death, and the promise of our own resurrection! There is
no truth so precious as the gospel of Christ!
Often,
however, we get discouraged in our own weakness. Even if we are not
persecuted or imprisoned for our faith like Paul was, we can
understand the feeling of being “hard pressed on every side.”
Until the day we are called into eternal glory, we must not lose
heart. Till then, let this be our motto: “We also believe and
therefore we speak.” Let us not lapse into silence. The same grace
that forgave our sin carries us on, through life, so that light may
shine out of darkness.