“Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also those of wood and clay; some for honorable use and some for dishonorable. So if anyone purifies himself from anything dishonorable, he will be a special instrument, set apart, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.” 2 Tim. 2:20-21 (CSB)
I was waiting for my friend to join her for a long overdue lunch together. It was a bright but cool winter day and the lunch crowd had not fully gathered yet. As I waited, my eye was drawn to the collection of flower pots set out on the benches. Being familiar with the area, I knew that in a few months these pots would be filled with a variety of herbs and flowers, perhaps to be used within the restaurant; I don’t know. What immediately came to mind, when I gazed upon these pots sitting in the sun was the verse above.
It was part of Paul’s teaching to his son in the ministry in which he was instilling in Timothy the necessity for godly character and integrity within the ministry. The context of this analogy was that during the first century Middle Eastern home it was common for everything to be stored in some form of vessel. The words honorable and dishonorable may conjure up ideas that perhaps some vessels may be used to contain human waste of some sort, but that would not be completely accurate.
Instead, what Paul is describing is the fact that some vessels were ordinary, made of clay or wood while others were made of finer materials like silver or gold and considered special. Think of it like the fine china that one keeps in a cabinet for special occasions. No one would pull it down to use it without first, at least, rinsing any dust that may have accumulated. Now, I like to use my china for family dinners and when I do, someone invariably says that is not necessary or that I should have used disposable dinnerware instead. My thinking is that I want to make the occasion memorable and special for those who are at the table. I don’t do it every day but for some dinners. I keep my china set aside for just this purpose.
Now in Paul’s analogy, he is making the point that when we consecrate ourselves to God and remove ourselves from the ordinary and often vain activities surrounding us, we are effectively “rinsing the china” and preparing our ordinary lives to be extraordinary vessels that will glorify God in our service, actions and words. It was not the first time Paul would refer to ministry in this way. In 2 Cor. 4:7 he said, “Now we have this treasure in clay jars, so that this extraordinary power may be from God and not from us.” Paul seemed to understand that God takes special delight in the lowly and ordinary things to show off His power and glory. After all, God chose two old people beyond child-bearing age to bring forth the seed of the Covenant, He plucked a dirty shepherd boy out of the field to be the king of Israel and His own Son was born in a stable with a feeding trough for a cradle. The common thread in all of these were that the people God chose to use for His glory were all considered to be rather ordinary people but they had faith in God.
So how do a row of flower pots bring all this up in my mind? Right now, they are empty, set apart and waiting for the gardener to come by and rework the soil, pot new plants, water and care for them. Right now, they look quite plain almost useless. In the height of summer they will be overflowing with flowers and plants that will brighten the wall they are sitting in front of to the point that one will not even be able to see the wooden bench they are sitting on. The truth is that ministry is very humbling and a lot of the time, it feels a lot like these pots look. I am reminded that in these moments of feeling quite empty and ordinary, God is at work, preparing me to be a special vessel, useful to God and His good work in me and through me.
Random Thoughts of an Ordinary Woman 