Saturday, September 9, 2017
2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.
YOUR PASTOR IS A FRAGILE JAR OF CLAY
The Lutheran pastor is not a super-star that attracts people to the gospel. Your pastor adds nothing to the power of the gospel. If anyone in the ministry glories, let him glory in the Lord.
Your pastor has many weaknesses. He is, in fact, a sinful human being. But his weaknesses constantly focuses the attention of the people away from himself to Jesus and the power of His cross. It is a blessed comfort to realize that whatever good is accomplished in your pastor's ministry is accomplished by the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This needs to be realized by every pastor and then communicated to those who hear the message they proclaim. The message of the gospel is more important than the messenger.
The paradox of the Gospel is that God has placed this glorious treasure of forgiveness and life in jars of clay -- in weak and sinful messengers. That is why the Apostle said: "We have such trust through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God" (2 Corinthians 3:4-5).
This means that our hope for heaven is founded not in sinful human beings, but on the solid truth of Jesus Christ and Him crucified. To God alone the glory!
-- From "The Lutheran Spokesman"
