Earthen Vessels With Heavenly Treasure

Vessels Are Made to Contain Something

The beauty of a vessel is not in its clay, but in what it carries. A flowerpot by itself isn’t remarkable, but when it holds a blooming flower, its value and beauty are magnified. That’s the Christian life. We are simple pots of clay, but inside of us rests a treasure beyond measure—the very life of Christ.

Paul puts it this way:

“For we are to God the fragrance of Christ.”
(2 Corinthians 2:15, NKJV)

The fragrance doesn’t come from the pot; clay smells like clay. The fragrance comes from the flower it holds. In the same way, the aroma of Christ flowing out of our lives doesn’t originate from us—it comes from Him. His life within us becomes the sweet-smelling offering that points others to God.

The Treasure Within

This is the mystery Paul speaks of elsewhere:

“Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27)

Our frail, mortal bodies hold a treasure far beyond ourselves—the life of Jesus. God designed it this way so that when power, excellence, or glory is seen in our lives, there is no mistaking its source. It cannot be from us—it must be from Him.

The Outer Man Perishes, the Inner Man Renews

We live in a world obsessed with polishing the vessel. Humanity spends so much time shining, shaping, painting, and posturing the clay jar, trying to preserve what will inevitably fade. But Paul reminds us: the outer man is perishing day by day. These vessels are temporary. What matters most is that the inner man is being renewed daily.

Insufficient Vessels, Sufficient Treasure

So, we embrace the truth: we are insufficient vessels, but we carry a sufficient treasure. The power of the Christian life does not come from the vessel but from the contents. It is Christ in us—the fragrance, the beauty, the life, and the glory.

We may be cracked, chipped, and plain, but when Christ fills us, we become radiant. And that is the point—that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.