Cracked Pots

I shared this illustration a couple weeks ago in my sermon but I wanted to revisit it as
it is important for us to remember that even in light of our flaws and failures Christ loves us... (Romans 5:8)

There is an ancient Chinese proverb about a water bearer. This water bearer had two large pots, each hung on each end of a pole, which he carried across his neck. 

One of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master’s house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. 

For two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots of water to his master’s house. Of course, the townspeople laughed every time they saw the old man spilling water all the way home.

The perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end for which it was made.

But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do. He felt even worse that the water bearer was mocked due to his inadequacy.

After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you."

"Why?" asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?"

"I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master’s house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you suffer such mockery from the others," the pot said.

The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, "As we return to the master’s house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path."

Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again it apologized to the bearer for its failure.

The bearer said to the pot, "I hear the laughter of the others, but I want you to notice something. Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path, but not on the other pot’s side? 

That’s because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you’ve watered them. 
For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master’s table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house."

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Each of us has our own unique flaws. We’re all cracked pots. But if we will
allow it, the Lord will use our flaws to grace His table. They can appear as foolishness to the rest of the world, but God knows what he’s doing. This is what it is to truly be the church! Recognizing that we are all flawed individuals, broken and in need of redemption. But God’s plan is perfect! He has no plan b, He alone is sovereign.