The Day-After Gift
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves 2 Corinthians 4:7
Treasure – Six months ago (June 21 and 22), we looked at the Greek words for “earthen vessels.” You may recall the metaphor of Tupperware. God made us as expendable containers. It’s what we carry that matters, not the vessel we carry it in. Of course, that is no excuse for not honoring the temple God gave you. But the treasure is not the body temple. Our cultural preoccupation with the exterior structure borders on idolatry. Today we need to understand what this treasure that we carry really is.
The Greek is thesauros. It is a storehouse of things. Thoughts, attitudes, emotions, spiritual insights and meditations are all laid up for future use. But in this particular verse, Paul has something quite specific in mind. Paul contrasts the hidden things of shame with the concealed treasure of Christ. We are to boldly renounce those hidden acts and attitudes in order to fully embrace the good news of an unveiled God of grace. For God shines truth into the darkness and gives the light of His glory in Jesus. What is the treasure that has been deposited in our Tupperware containers? It is that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. His light is found “in the face of Christ” (verse 6). What you have in you is the very face of Jesus, shining through you into a world of darkness. That is the treasure of the ages, hidden for centuries but now revealed in the presence of ordinary men and women. He is Emmanuel – God among us – tabernacled within each of us.
Did you realize that you carry the living Christ, the light of God’s glory, in your earth vessel? You probably answer, “Yes, I knew that.” So here’s the question. If you have that awe-inspiring light within, does your face shine with the glory of God? Are you like Moses who had to wear a veil because his face glowed? Moses only reflected God’s glory. You contain it. How much more should your countenance display the light within!
I’m afraid that most of us left this present wrapped. God’s gift remains hidden in our lives because we forgot to break open the package. We were too afraid to damage the outward clay container, so the brilliant light of the Lord stayed a secret in our lives. Today, the day after all the other presents, come to God for His gift. Break open that clay covering. Crack the image of outward perfection and humble yourself. You will discover something shines from within. No other present compares. What are you waiting for?
