To talk about what “the potter and the clay” means, one must analyze the depth of these terms within the Bible, where the Lord shaped the life of the prophet Jeremiah in a surprising way, who suffered much anguish. This can remind us or make us realize that it can transform our lives in the same way.
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Meaning of “The potter and the clay”
This parable teaches us through the life of the prophet Jeremiah the way in which God can mold our lives like clay. During the first part of the ministry of this biblical character in Jerusalem.
The Lord asked him to go visit the house of a potter, where he realized how he worked, turning a wheel with his foot while with his hands he made sure to shape a piece of wet clay located in a raised wheel.
Pottery is a very old activity, and Jeremiah visualized a potter, who had discovered in the pot that he was making an imperfection, and he was surprised that the potter undid the pot and began to shape it again. This can be seen in the following passage from the Bible:
“And I went down to the potter’s house, and behold, he was working on the wheel. And the clay pot that he made was spoiled in his hand; and he returned and made it another vessel, as he thought it best to make it “. (Jeremiah 18:3-4).
This prophet Jeremiah went through very hard times with the iniquity of Israel, but despite this he recognized the hands full of kindness and skill of the Master Potter, who molded his character and transformed it into a beautiful work of art.
The events of his life teach us the need to place our entire lives in the hands of the Lord, where true peace and pure love lie. His word encourages us to leave everything under God’s control: “Can I not make you like this potter, O house of Israel?” (Jeremiah 18:6).
“The potter and the clay” in the life of the believer
The prophet Jeremiah was called by the Lord when he was young: “…to everything that I send you, you will go, and you will say everything that I send you” (Jeremiah 1:7). However, you had doubts “…I do not know how to speak, because I am a child” (Jeremiah 1:6), but the Lord knew that he was capable of carrying out the purpose he had for him: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you… I gave you as a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5).
Likewise, God knows each one of his children and has selected us to be in a certain place on earth, he also molds us using the calls to serve either at home or in the Church. Therefore, we must leave fear behind as Jeremiah did and trust fully in God, who has a specific purpose for us.
The teaching of “The potter and the clay” shows us that we are like clay and our life can be transformed into a beautiful utensil. We can be the ideal vessel to be filled by the Holy Spirit, who reproves us and encourages us in moments of great difficulty.
In this sense, the determining factor in shaping Jeremiah’s life was his flexibility, since he was always willing to submit to God’s commandments, to be flexible in choosing freely and repeatedly to do God’s will instead of his own.
In this way, one of the attributes that are visualized in the teaching of this parable is humility, obedience, faith and being free from pride, since through these qualities we can be molded in the image and likeness of Christ. .
On one occasion, the Lord asked Jeremiah to buy a clay pot, break it in front of the leaders of the people, and then boldly prophesy: “…Thus says the Lord of hosts: Thus I will break this people and this city, like someone who breaks a clay pot, which can no longer be restored” (Jeremiah 19:11)
Therefore, in order for this character to carry out this mandate to make such a bold denunciation of government leaders, he had to do the will of God and obey with courage and put aside even his own life and safety. As can be seen in the following quote:
“Thus says the Lord: Go and buy a clay vessel from the potter, and take it with you from the elders of the people, and from the elders of the priests; and you will go out to the valley of the son of Hinnom, which is at the entrance of the eastern gate, and there you will proclaim the words that I will speak to you. You shall say, then, Hear the word of the Lord, O kings of Judah, and inhabitants of Jerusalem. Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I bring evil upon this place, so that the ears of all who hear it tingle.” (Jeremiah 19:1–15).
In this way, the word of God became a life lesson, where he was commanded to put on a ribbon and straps and place them around his neck in front of King Zedekiah and the diplomatic corps of Jerusalem. Which must have been a very strange thing, since Jeremiah found himself exposed to these men who had a lot of influence and power. This prophet had the courage to tell them that if they did not willingly bow down and serve the king of Babylon, the Lord would destroy them. This can be seen in the following passage:
“And now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, my servant, and even the beasts of the field I have given him to serve him. And all the nations will serve him, his son, and his son’s son, until the time also comes for their own land, and many nations and great kings reduce it to slavery. And to the nation and to the kingdom that does not serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and that does not put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, I will punish that nation with the sword and with famine and with pestilence, says the Lord, until I have finished it off. I by his hand” (Jeremiah 27:6-8).
In this sense, this prophet was quite flexible to carry out his mission given by God, regardless of the circumstances in which he found himself, risking his own life and being exposed to public ridicule, since the unbelievers saw it as something absurd. So in our daily life we must be equally moldable and let ourselves be transformed like clay in order to fulfill our purpose here on earth.
How can we overcome afflictions?
Jeremiah was a biblical character who could show many afflictions. In fact, God himself indicated to him when he made the call that princes, kings and priests, and the people in general, would fight against him. But the Lord promised him: “And they will fight against you, but they will not defeat you; for I am with you, says the LORD, to deliver you.” (Jeremiah 1:19).
Jeremiah had to go through many situations of great difficulty, among which we can mention when Pasur, who was the priest in charge of achieving order in the temple compound, heard the noise that Jeremiah made when he broke the clay pot and prophesied Before the people, he ordered that they imprison him, beat him, and put him in the stocks.
The next day he ordered Jeremiah to be brought to him, but he fearlessly repeated the Lord’s words about the imperious destruction, adding: “And you, Pasur, and all the inhabitants of your house will go captive” (Jeremiah 20:6).
When the Babylonian army was in Jerusalem, Jeremiah announced to King Zedekiah and his people the word of the Lord that they should surrender, and this upset many officers, who used Jeremiah’s attempt to leave the city as a subterfuge to imprison him and accuse him of treason.
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This can be seen in the word: “And Jeremiah said: False; I do not go to the Chaldeans. But he did not listen to him, but Irias seized Jeremiah, and led him before the princes. And the princes were angry with Jeremiah, and they flogged him and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe, because they had turned it into a prison. (Jeremiah 37:14–15).
Another of the tragic events that this prophet had to face was when he was thrown into a cistern that served as a dungeon, so that he would starve to death there. With the passing of time, the sediments accumulated at the bottom of the cistern, where Jeremías gradually sank.
This can be seen in the following biblical passage: “Then they took Jeremiah and had him thrown into the cistern of Malchijah the son of Hamelec, who was in the courtyard of the prison; and they put Jeremiah in with ropes. And there was no water in the cistern, but silt, and Jeremiah sank in the silt.” (Jeremiah 38:6).
In this sense, this prophet had to go through many calamities and many times he felt afflicted, but a Christian servant named Ebed-melech, who was an Ethiopian servant of the king, gave him the necessary courage to be able to cope with adversities, otherwise, Jeremiah would have died, as can be seen in his word:
“And the Ethiopian Ebed-melech said to Jeremiah: Now put those old rags and ragged and tattered clothes, under the armpits, under the ropes. And so did Jeremiah. Thus they dragged Jeremiah out with ropes, and lifted him up out of the cistern; and Jeremiah remained in the prison yard. (see Jeremiah 38:12–13).
Once the Babylonian king took over Jerusalem, Jeremiah decided to stay with his people in the city, so that he could continue proclaiming the word of the Lord, although he felt much rejection. This very important prophet died in Egypt some time after a last request to his people to accept the Lord, as evidenced in the sacred scriptures:
“And Jeremiah said to all the people, and to all the women, Hear the word of the LORD, all you of Judah who are in the land of Egypt. Thus hath spoken the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying: You and your wives spoke with your mouths, and with your hands you did it, saying: We will indeed fulfill our vows that we made, to offer incense to the queen of heaven and pour out libations on her. ; confirm your vows to the truth, and put your vows into action.” (Jeremiah 44:24-25).
All the tests that the prophet Jeremiah had to go through show us the way in which a person is molded by God and just as the potter shapes the clay and turns it into a beautiful vessel, in the same way the Lord wants to mold us into his image and likeness so that we may be worthy to enter his kingdom.
However, in order to be molded, we will often have to go through unfavorable and very painful situations, but we must be convinced that God is not going to put us a test that we cannot overcome. Everything is in the trust and faith that we can have in the midst of the storm.
The principles present in the parable of “The potter and the clay”
This parable is based on the teaching that the mission that the prophet Jeremiah had to proclaim the word of God and warn his people of the consequences of their disobedience left us. Just as clay is molded, the life of this biblical character was molded by the Lord, making him go through very hard tests that caused him a lot of suffering. But God was always there for him…