( 2 Corinthians 4:6-10 ) - [ Deutsch ]
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with us all. Amen
The Scripture for the last Sunday after Epiphany is from 2 Corinthians 4:6-10:
6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness, made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.
7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.
Dear Congregation
One of the fondest memories of children's birthdays is a game called "pot knocking". The player is blindfolded and given a wooden spoon to then move around on the floor and find a pot with a "treasure" hidden underneath. Crawling blindfolded - what joy when the spoon hits the pot!
And children and young people, and perhaps even adults, are never too old to be enthusiastic about treasure hunts. Admittedly, you no longer want to crawl on the floor blindfolded - there are other forms. Experience teaches us that hardly any leisure time during youth or Confi-camps, is complete without a well-planned treasure hunt. It is always about setting off on a search in the hope of finding a hidden treasure. In most cases, treasure hunts are organised as a team. Finding treasure depends on everyone.
I assume most of you have memories of such a game. Especially that moment when the treasure is found. Oh, what a joy that is. A feeling of relief, of success. A satisfaction that makes up for the effort. Wonderful: all the effort was worth it. The treasure has been found.
It is a game - but it is not just a game. There is a longing deep within us humans to find a treasure. It is not for nothing that this is one of the most popular nicknames for a partner: treasure! (German: “Schatz”). Everyone not only longs for a partner whom they perceive as a treasure, but also for "meaning", for "stability", for a spiritual home. All of this can be a treasure. Anything that shows you where your place in life and a source of strength to cope with life is.
Paul found this treasure. He had not consciously set out on a treasure hunt - it was different: the treasure was laid at his feet. At first, he did not even realise that it was the most precious treasure of his life. Let us be reminded of the "Damascus experience" that turned Saul into Paul.
Luke recounts it in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 9: 3f) as follows: "As Paul was on his way (travelling against the Christians) and came near Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven shone around him, and he heard a voice: Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?"
It was a serious interruption in his journey. Paul went blind for a while. He did not immediately realise what was happening to him.
However, he soon realised that God had appeared to him. The light from heaven illuminated him.
Luke writes it in such a way that the image immediately reminds us of the Christmas story: a bright light appeared to the shepherds in the field. The light from heaven, an illumination. An experience of God that makes one's own life incredibly bright - this is what we Christians celebrate and remember in the Epiphany season.
Today's sermon text takes us years later. St Paul has already founded several churches. He carries the treasure, his life-changing encounter with Jesus, with him. In his heart. Paul describes it in the first verses of today's sermon text:
6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness, made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.
This treasure that he has found - or rather the treasure that has found him - is the most important thing in his life. His enlightenment. And as it is with everything important in life and the most important thing in life: It is fragile and fleeting, precious and vulnerable.
7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.
A treasure in earthly vessels. When I read this line, I feel something of Paul's sadness and how threatened Paul feels. An earthly vessel. How quickly it breaks. One careless movement and a glass falls to the ground, shattering into small fragments. An earthen vessel can last a very, very long time: I have cups from my aunts that are almost a hundred years old - one broke the other day.
That made me understand even better what the word fragile means: something is over in an instant. Just one breath, and our life is gone.
It can last so long and yet it does not last forever. It would be an illusion to think that an old cup will become more durable or can no longer break because it has already been around for almost a hundred years. Nothing changes in all these years about how fragile it remains.
The treasure in earthly vessels. Paul speaks of his faith - but above all he speaks of the church of Jesus Christ. The church, our churches, are the earthly vessel in which our faith, the great and important treasure, is stored. Yes, Paul is very concerned about this. Paul is clear about what is at stake in Corinth. The dispute over so many questions of the Christian life - because people feel called to defend their treasure. And what can happen? The opposite: the earthly vessel can break. Paul is aware of this. But Paul is not just sad. Paul is worried and yet it seems to me that in the midst of this worry and fear, he remembers what is kept in the earthly vessel: an unbreakable treasure. Paul is worried that the church will break: the earthly vessel of the treasure - but then he speaks up: He tries to find out what is good about it. And he comes to a profound realisation: The vessel is fragile, so that we do not confuse the earthly vessel, our congregations, our churches with the treasure: the encounter with God, the liberation in Jesus Christ, the faith.
Paul has a twofold insight: the foremost importance of the earthly vessel for faith: it is preserved and stored there. The whole church is a great treasure chest for faith. A precious shell: a particularly valuable vessel. No doubt: the earthly vessel is valuable and also precious. Nevertheless, the vessel must not be confused with the treasure. The most expensive vessel remains transient and cannot come close to God's eternal treasure.
And so that it remains clear that there is a difference between the church and its Lord and that the Lord of the churches, Jesus Christ, is free, it is important to realise that our efforts in churches and congregations can never be about preserving the earthly vessel, but the treasure: and that is faith. And Paul describes this faith in such a wonderful way:
8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.
In these lines, Paul puts the encounter with the transient world - the experience of threat and death - in a new light. God's light shines through Paul's dark thoughts.
Paul admits that he is under pressure: his person is under attack, the Corinthian church may be divided and destroyed over ethical issues and the question of how the Scriptures should be interpreted. He is afraid: what will happen to us; to us as Christians - to our churches - will the churches be persecuted and banned - will we be allowed to live our faith freely?
Paul is afraid of persecution: he knows exactly what persecutors are capable of - he was one himself. He calls oppression by its name: he experiences a difficult life in a world full of violence, hatred, and fear. Of course, he is human, a fragile being - a man who has reached his limits.
But here is the miracle: similar to what he knows from his journey to Damascus; a light does shine. But - the great Christian but: the counterword to fear. "In the world you are afraid, but I have overcome the world!"
It is not a but that takes away the other experience: in this sense, it would be more appropriate to translate the “but” as "and":
We are oppressed and we are not afraid. We are anxious and we do not despair!
At the same time, this is true; it may be true that from a human, earthly perspective, death is overwhelming and destroys life.
Death can destroy the body, it can rob one's mind and grieve the soul to death - but as Christians still experience it, similarly to Paul. Our treasure remains: faith, hope and love. They are eternal. They are not subject to transience. They are not an earthly vessel, but they are the treasure that is preserved: they are the strength from which new life grows.
And therefore, because we see the world and our suffering, our transience in this light, we are still mortal - but we also bear witness to the life of Jesus.
God's hope is the treasure that shines through in our lives. This is how we as a congregation and as churches give and have hope for the world.
The faith that God works in individuals and that is lived out in the congregation is the treasure that we owe to the world. We bear witness to God's love, which works in us, in the world - and give it to the world. This is and remains possible at all times.
Sometimes, when you are on the brink of despair or too anxious, it may be time for a treasure hunt; to set off as a group and a congregation, as a church to find the treasure. At the same time anxious and confident: the treasure we are looking for will find us. “If you seek me with all your heart, I will let myself be found.”
May we go on the treasure hunt with the greatest possible ease and serenity and await with childlike joy (childlike joy of God) the moment when we find the treasure (again)!
May the exuberant power be from God - not from us!
May the peace of God, which is higher than our understanding, guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen