I recently listened to an interview with a familiar writer and speaker known to most of mainstream media talk about losing his adult child to suicide. As I cried through the interview, the gentleman labored through his comments, he made many points that got my attention and actually encouraged me. You see, we all walk around under a weight of pressure most days. The point was made during the presentation that we are “broken in a broken world” not only gave me perspective, but gave me comfort. The perspective I gained reminded me that all the problems of the world are not a new idea to us (Genesis 3). We may put so much pressure on ourselves and lament at the mistakes we have made to the point our self-esteem has been lowered, we feel we are beyond repair, and our connection to Christ becomes stymied. But, when we are reminded when sin entered into the world, we shouldn’t be willing to sin willfully, but focus on Jesus entirely!
I hope and pray you have never experienced such a tragedy as the one I began with. However, we all can relate on some level to being distraught, disheveled, or in the depths of despair because of a loss or dealing with a chronic challenge. The apostle Paul highlights encouragement when we are being beat down and pushed back in 2 Corinthians 4:7-15. Paul says, But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So then death is working in us, but life in you. And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak, knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.
Since Paul’s first letter, the Corinthian church had been swayed by false teachers who stirred the people against Paul. Paul sent Titus to Corinth to deal with these difficulties, and upon Titus’ return, Paul was thankful to hear of the change of heart by most of the Corinthians. While most were repentant, some were still “rebellious.” The text implies that many were still dealing with the ramification of sin and mistakes made by those who rejected Paul’s teaching and influence which we know leads to a hard life. The emotional fatigue we feel can be traced back sin in the world. While this may be simplistic to understand, the results are often complex and require suffering, repair, and submission to Christ.
Simply put, we are broken in a broken world. Notice the imagery Paul’s uses, the NKJV says in 2 Cor. 4:7 we have “this treasure in earthen vessels.” The ESV says instead of “earthen vessels,” it says “jars of clay.” The point is this, Paul is reminding us we have valuable knowledge of God in our minds, but we are fragile and frail. We are easily broken, like “like jars of clay!” But, Paul is reminding the Corinthians and us in 2 Cor. 4:14 that because of the power and grace of God, through our obedience to Jesus, regardless of our fracturing, we are protected, we can prosper, and we are saved from this broken world, despite our brokenness.
