Sept. 7 | Pentecost 13, Year C
Jer. 18:1-11 or Deut. 30:15-20
Ps. 139:1-5, 12-17 or Ps. 1
Phm. 1-21
Luke 14:25-33
God takes all the fragments of our lives and fashions them into a new life according to his will. The potter of his own will made and remade vessels. He is completely in charge. Although he forms the vessel, it might still be marred and imperfect. He does not throw out the corrupt vessel, but uses the same clay to make a new vessel that is right in his eyes.
As Christians, we believe that we are made by God and called to be his people. Over the ages, God has revealed his will to us and given us commandments that demonstrate how we are to live as his vessels of blessing. We, however, sin against God by placing our will above his will. We congratulate ourselves on our achievements and prosperity. Mistakenly, we think we are in control of our destiny. Then we are crushed by circumstances beyond our control or by the consequences of our bad choices. But that is not the end of the story. Through the negative experiences we are remolded into something else if we repent. It is repentance that keeps our clay soft enough to be reworked.
The parallels are obvious. There is an application of this passage, however, at a more spiritually subtle and perhaps more practical level. That is at the level of our perceived role in world events. We are burdened and unsettled about what seems to us to be a chaotic future. The challenges we face both at home and abroad are enough to raise the level of angst in the most dedicated hermit. Wars and rumors of wars dominate the news cycles, with the ever-present threat of a nuclear conflict just behind the curtain. Riots seem to be the preferred form of protest on just about anything. In our hubris we are convinced that it is up to us to solve all the problems. We have persuaded ourselves that we carry the responsibility for achieving world peace, not to mention eliminating terrorism, poverty, hunger, pollution, and global warming.
What are we going to do? Of course, we will try to love our neighbors, share our wealth, conserve the world’s resources, and decrease our carbon footprint. But what we will not accomplish is world peace, or eliminate terrorism, hunger, poverty, pollution, or global warming. There is a good chance that, even in a democracy, we will not elect the candidate we personally favor in our next election. Our lives will continue to be marred by anxiety.
The answer to our angst does not lie in our abilities or power. There has never been a vessel that was successfully created by a lump of clay! We are anxious because we think we are in control. We are in despair because of our fear that we will not make a difference. We are frustrated and angry because the world does not see the obvious wisdom of our opinions and the logical superiority of our actions. We are troubled because we have forgotten that we are not the potter—we are the clay.
The good news is that as clay in the Potter’s hands, we can be refashioned into effective forces for good in this world. But we can only be so refashioned if we will stop trying to be the potter and allow God to rework us. Humility is the tranquility of faith and the antidote to our anxiety. As the Potter, God has the plan and will produce a future that is right in his eyes.
We need not worry—as clay in his hands, we only need to have faith and rely on God.
Look It Up:Â Luke: 14:26
Think About It:Â Our declaration to Jesus when we commit to following him is the vow to forsake all others and be faithful to him as long as we live, regardless of the circumstances we encounter in this world.
The Rev. Dr. Chuck Alley, former rector of St. Matthew’s Church in Richmond, Virginia, teaches anatomy at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical School.
