The world looks up to the strong…do we not? We admire the great NFL athletes. The actors who portray heroic figures. Olympians. World Cup Soccer/Futbol players (well, expect for the ones who roll on the ground crying because someone brushed up against their arm). The pictures of the perfect athlete. Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound and all that stuff. Earthen Vessels? Clay pots that are fragile and can shatter in a moment? Hardly.
So what is this whole Earthen Vessels thing? When I was in choir we sang a hymn by Fr. John Foley called Earthen Vessels. The refrain goes:
We hold a treasure Not made of gold.
In earthen vessels, wealth untold.
One treasure only, the Lord, the Christ.
In earthen vessels.
I had no clue as to what this was supposed to mean. What is an Earthen Vessel? Was the vessel the wealth untold? If not, what is? And what is the treasure Foley writes about? I was very confused but, like a good choir member, I sung as if I comprehended everything that was being sung about. But I really didn’t. Then came this reading. WE are the Earthen Vessels. Weak, easily broken. Flawed. Sinful. Physically handicapped at times. Maybe also doubting our faith. Imperfect. And the treasure? As the song says. One treasure Only. the Lord, the Christ. And, more importantly, the Gospel message. The most important treasure that there ever was. And where should this treasure reside? The world says it goes into some impressive physical specimen. In my athlete analogy at the beginning, that would mean a Hall of Famer. One whose physical stature and accomplishments would be considered worthy of such a valued commodity.
Then I thought of the scene above from, yes you guessed it, The Chosen. I am sorry but there are so many scenes from this series that ring true with the Gospel. Go figure. In this scene, Little James (not John’s brother) confronts Jesus. He cannot understand how he of all people will be capable of going out and healing other people. He is a cripple. He cannot walk without assistance. How can he be expected to be taken seriously. If this Jesus is so great, why couldn’t He heal one of His own disciples? Also, James feels like he is not capable of living up to the attributes of the other Apostles. He then asks Jesus why He did not cure him of his disability.
Jesus’ response? It is the Earthen Vessel argument. He tells James that yes He could in fact heal him of his lameness. And it would be a good story. In fact, one of many that Jesus is credited for. Also, one of many that the rest of the Apostles will be given credit for. But here is the thing. How much more powerful will it be when the force of healing originates from one who is damaged. Who is weak and broken. The power of Jesus, of the Gospel, does not depend on the attributes of mortal men. If they did, he likely would have employed the Pharisees, Sadducees and Scribes to spread the message. But by having the weak, like Little James, display power, all will understand that it will not depend on church or city leaders who can display the power of God. It will not rely on the skills if each person.
Little James was the Mother Theresa of his day.It is when I am weak that I am most strong. It is when my humility takes the place of pride that the truth of God shines forth like the dawn. It doesn’t take an Olympian to show the world what the Gospel entails. To show that it is love of God and love of others. To put God above the temporary things of this world. As Father Foley says in his composition:
He has chosen the lowly
Who are small in this world
In his weakness His Glory
In Jesus the Lord
In his weakness (lower case h), His Glory (upper case H).
