Beyond the Packaging

05.04.12

Matthew 21.44 44 And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust.” NASB

It is what’s inside that matters – and Jesus spoke to that when He said, “And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces…” We are more valuable when we are broken than when we aren’t. The world needs broken people.

We, however, are of the opinion that people need to be fixed – that because they are broken they need to be somehow put back together in order to be of some value. We have a disorder for just about every human need out there: PTSD, OCD, RLS, ED and on and on it goes. We identify the need, come up with a solution and bam, problem solved. Fixed people mean something in this world. Fixing people is a big business – books, pills, seminars, conferences…lots of need, billions of dollars.

But Jesus said, “And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust.” The broken are what is needed. Broken people see their need and rather than exploit it, use it for the comfort of others. Broken people see their limitations but also the limitlessness of Almighty God. Broken people know that their own strength can be a hindrance but His strength is of surpassing greatness, peace, and exceeding joy. Broken people know this: if God can use me, He can (and does) use anyone.

Into each of us God has placed something of surpassing beauty. Into each life God has put potential, ability, and resource. We carry around treasure from heaven in these jars of clay in which we live. His desire is to bless the world around us with what He’s put in us. And the only way to do that is to break the jars and release what He’s put in there. It’s not the jar that holds the perfume that’s important; it’s the perfume. The perfume is the blessing, not the container.

We in western society fool ourselves with packaging – the prettier the package the more worth we deem – how foolish is that! Packaging is only what holds the item or substance of worth. We assess value to things that are in collections that are still in the original package – pristine and unspoiled. What’s in the package was never meant to be left in the package. How marred is our sense of valuation.

And He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces – and become something useful in the Master’s hands. What is inside of us is what is of value and the only way to get to it is to destroy the packaging. Jesus is all about breaking open the packaging. Jesus is all about broken people who have wonderful things in them that are of great need to the world around them. Jesus is all about broken people.

Where are we weak? It’s there Jesus is strong. Where are we failing? It’s there Jesus succeeds. Where are we empty? It’s there Jesus fills the void. Broken people have resources that are the kinds of things that fix broken worlds and broken lives so those things may in turn be broken in order to fix maybe even broken universes. It’s all in God’s plan and the only way to get there is to fall on the Stone that it may serve its real purpose: getting out of us what God has put in us.