2 Corinthians 4:7
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us.
Yesterday’s verse talked about the mysterious fact that God turns everything to His glory. Today’s verse shows how that works in our case. God doesn’t choose to save us because we don’t need saving, but because we do need saving. We are schleps, sinners, crackpots, factory rejects and oddballs. When the glory of God is revealed in us, it is most emphatically a reflected glory we show, not something native to ourselves. Because of this, anybody who is paying attention will realize that it is not we, but God, who is the brains behind the whole operation and give credit where credit is due. Not that we should go out of our way to be schleps, of course. But it is good to keep in mind Who the founder of the eucharistic feast is, and remember Who to give the glory to. “Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Thy name give glory” (Psalm 115:1).
