Paul uses 'treasure in clay jars' as a beautiful poetic way of describing us. The outside is rough and easily broken but inside there is something infinitely precious. We can be pummelled, broken, crushed, confused, or persecuted - but in the end, God will raise us up and gift us with the glory of Christ. And that is Paul's point: it is all about God not us. By human standards our life might not be much to brag about and it may be filled with a lot of pain. But God has something far greater in store for us. We need to remember this when we are feeling like a worn-out or shattered clay jar. Look to the treasure within.

Even though the sons of Zebedee were disciples of Jesus they did not understand his teachings. The values of Jesus are very different from the world's values. He takes our ideas of honour and glory and turns them upside down. The two brothers hope to bask in his glory and receive places of honor, but Jesus insists that true honor is for those who humble themselves and serve others. It might even involve suffering and sacrifice. He warns us not to imitate the values and models of human relationships provided by human cultures. This is a warning that we have not heeded. Jesus asks us to imitate him his entire life was one of self-giving and service. When we do this we will indeed experience glory and power but of a very different sort. We will have crossed the threshold into God's Kingdom.