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We know virtually nothing about James the Less and Thaddeus – except that they were called by Jesus to be disciples. We too can feel unknown or invisible in our difficult moments. What does God say to disciples like us in these moments? Does he value us? Can he use us? Did he value James and Thaddeus? God uses everyone who answers his call and is willing to be filled by God with his grace and power.

We often here about the famous people, the dramatic people, we don’t always hear about the average people. During this sermon series, we have heard about the famous disciples, the dramatic disciples, today, we’ll hear about the average disciples. We’re talking about James the Less and Thaddeus, in our next to last installment of The Twelve – a study on Jesus’ 12 disciples.

Now if you were to go to the Associated Press Top 12 Rankings of MPD’s (Most Prominent Disciples) Thaddeus and James might rank 11^th and 12^th. We know almost nothing about James, son of Alphaeus, or as the church affectionately calls him, James the Less. We have no quotes in scripture from this James.

Thaddeus – also called Judas son of James. Who wouldn’t want be remembered as Thaddeus when your only other option was Judas – and maybe even Judas the less.

Thaddeus has one line in the Bible- which goes like this:

“But Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”

So it leaves us in a tight spot – how do we preach about a pair we know so little about?

Here’s what we do know. Jesus called them to be his disciples – they are both listed as part of the 12 in Matthew, Mark and Luke. Jesus considered them crucial to his kingdom-building team – they had a role to play. And although they may feel like little people to us – there are no little people in God’s kingdom and no insignificant roles to play in His plan.

But because we know so little about these two in comparison to their counterparts, it is easy to discount them or to assign them insignificant roles. Our culture often focuses on the powerful, rich, famous, and flawed. Even in Scripture, we see that in His divine wisdom, Jesus set up special times and special relationships with three – Peter, John, and James. Peter was the Rock upon which the Church was built. John was the writer of the gospel John and Revelation. Andrew is the inviter, Matthew is the tax collector, and Judas Iscariot, the handler of the money. But even in their known roles, in some ways they were just regular guys – and so like us. There were at least five professional fisherman – rough around the edges, who probably used the same language as sailors. So even though they were chosen by God and are still remembered today – they were probably pretty average guys – just very willing to be used by Jesus and to follow Him.

But there is a place for the unknown, almost invisible people like Thad and James.

And we know because of God’s promises to us – that we are all known and visible to God. God had the Prophet Samuel choose David to be future King even though he was small and young – for humans look at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart. We are known – Jesus himself says that God in heaven knows the numbers of hairs on our heads and cares the lowly average everyday sparrow – so how much more should he care for us. Since we don’t know much about them, our scripture today doesn’t address James and Thaddeus. But it does address the type of people they might have been – a little quieter, not the identified leaders, the less obvious ones, but definitely part of the team.

Let’s read 2 Corinthians 4:7-18

Now let’s go back and read that first verse again and focus there for a few minutes.

Jars of clay – or “earthen vessels” in another translation - where do you see clay today – in flower pots like these – they’re cheap, they have a purpose that’s not for themselves but what they carry – and they’re fragile – companies can make them quickly and cheaply and in mass. This was pretty much the same in the ancient Middle East. Clay jars were made to hold water for drinking, oil for lamps, or other important items. The Dead Sea Scrolls even survived from the first century until 1947 holding the oldest pieces in existence of Old Testament books while hidden in a cave in sealed clay pots.

Paul compares us – you and me – to clay pots or earthen vessels. We too are normal everyday people, like James and Thaddeus, who can be broken, and we are vessels to carry something that is more important than ourselves. Why does Paul compare us to clay vessels? To show that this all-surpassing power is not from us – but from God. The power, the grace we carry in us – come miraculously through the Holy Spirit and Jesus living in us as our Savior and Lord, the leader of our lives. Verse 8 says things we already know about life in 2009 also: We often feel the way Paul felt – and probably those first disciples – that we are hard pressed but not crushed, persecuted, but not abandoned, struck down but not destroyed.

Paul was famous – and a leader – but he was also a fragile clay pot like us.

Here are some fast facts about Paul later in 2 Corinthians: Paul was put in prison, beaten on the back and feet, five times received 39 lashes – they thought 40 lashes would kill you. He was once beaten with stones meant to kill him, but he survived, shipwrecked not once, twice, but three times, had bandits chase him, and in his own words, he has been hungry, thirsty, cold, and sleep deprived. He is broken clay pot like this one…(break pot) put together so that he could carry the message of Jesus in that specific time and place – and even to us today.

He’s a hero right? He’s also a clay pot. He describes himself also in this book as timid and a fool. He says he is known, yet regarded as unknown, and genuine, but regarded as an impostor. He is expendable for God – carrying the message of God – so that others may hear and know the good news of Christ Jesus.

Paul also talks in chapter 12 of this book about his thorn in his flesh – scholars have guessed what it is – but no one knows for sure – because Paul doesn’t tell us. But this thorn has a purpose. Paul asked God to remove it – but God didn’t.

God spoke to Paul in chapter 12:9 and said “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Again, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Paul says in response, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” Wow – how can we be proud of our weaknesses? We can when we realize they make us come closer to Christ – when his power is more evident when we are weak, and he is strong.

We may not have experienced the hardships of Paul – but many of have experienced brokenness – broken families, relationships torn, embarrassing sin, mistreatment and abuse from others, the untimely death of the people closest to you, disease and illness, both mental and physical. We too can be broken like this… (pick up broken clay pot). But even in our brokenness, when God brings healing, God uses us where we are.

That’s a lot of bad news – but the word gospel means good news. The good news is that God needs and uses everyone. I was touched by a small book I read two years ago that was titled “Plan A.” We are God’s Plan A – for reaching the world – telling others, helping the poor, worshipping God, reaching out to those who are broken. And there is no Plan B. Since Jesus went to Heaven, we’re it – along with the help of the Holy Spirit – flowing in us and through us – we are God’s Plan A to deliver his grace and goodness to the world. This book was given to me as a gift from high school senior who didn’t go to ZPC, but went to another church. He gave it to me because he thought it was important and we should study it with two other young men. He was a clay jar in my life – carrying inspiration to me that has helped shape me and think differently about God and ministry.

We talked earlier about leaders – about Peter James and John – and now Paul – and how they are looked up to – as leaders, examples, and how they lived incredible lives of faith.

Leadership is necessary and vital. But leadership in the Bible might look different than our culture makes it out to be.

Paul said in Galatians that the fruit of the Spirit are often different than things the world promotes. The fruit are: love, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Jesus was described as a servant leader - who will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice, but one who opens eyes that are blind, frees captives from prison, cares for the poor, and gives light to those in darkness.

Don’t you want to follow that leader? Jesus was a leader, but also a clay pot. He took on human flesh – as my friend and ZPC member John Heigl reminds me – he was God in a Bod – who came to be like us – taking off the robes of the heavenly court – so that he could save us. And even in his body which was beaten, broken, hung on a cross, and died, he carried the grace of God in that clay pot. What a leader, what an example for us!

When I was younger, and still sometimes even now, I don’t feel very much like a leader. I remember being probably about age 8 or 9 going to basketball games and being too shy to go to the concession stand to buy popcorn. I remember being too shy to talk to my pediatrician to tell him what was wrong with me when I was sick. And I remember even as I gained confidence in myself as a young man in my early 20’s, that I was still quiet and reserved. When I told some coworkers just out of college that I felt called to go to seminary and be a pastor – they laughed. Not to be mean, but because they couldn’t picture this quiet young man being a preacher.

I haven’t changed that much. When I take personality tests I typically score slightly more on the introvert side than the extrovert side. Do I like to go to big parties where I have to mingle in the crowd? No. Frankly, I’d rather stay home and read a book. I admire people in sales for how easily they relate to their customers and can close the deal, because I think I could never do that.

But for some reason, God has called me to be where I am today – to be a person who stands up in front of others and talks about God – I still get nervous about it. And in a sense, I’m selling them on the life of following Jesus as a disciple. It’s because I believe it so deeply in my heart that it’s the truth – God is real and he loves you and wants you too to follow him right where you are. To be a clay pot, fragile, yet real. Ordinary, yet carrying something extraordinary. Breakable and broken, so that in your fragility and brokenness you can relate to other travelers who are breakable and broken too.

And in this special time of our church, when our Sr. Pastor admits his own brokenness, we need each other – to be clay pots for one another – to carry God’s message of grace and power to each other. We need to reach out with grace to each other first - then to our communities, schools, families, and workplaces right around us. During this time in our church’s life, we need everyone to be surrendered to God – what is His will for my life and for your life – and how can you be a carrier of God’s grace to someone within these walls and outside these walls?

Here is how Paul finishes this passage – with a flourish to encourage us: “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed each day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes, not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

We can’t see God physically, but we can be encouraged that he is here. The disciple John said, “No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.” And we keep our eyes on the hope we have in God for a better life after we’re done here. God has good plans for us here – and perfect plans for us in the next life.

Greg Mortenson was an average guy, but an above average mountain climber. The son of missionary parents to Africa, in 1993, he made an attempt to summit K2, the world’s 2^nd tallest mountain. Greg and his team failed to reach the summit. And on his way down the mountain, Greg got separated from his team. After sleeping high up on the mountain and waking up with ice coating his face, Greg realized he needed to get down the mountain before he died. He reconnected with his local guide who was still on the mountain looking for him, and together they stumbled into Korphe, one of the highest and most remote villages in Pakistan. The village nursed Greg back to health for two weeks. Moved by their kindness, he asked what he could do in return, and the village asked him to build a school.

This average guy, this clay pot, went back home, and over the course of two years, raised enough money to build a school in Korphe, and came to help build it himself. He caught a vision for building schools, especially for girls, who are often the James the Less types in the most remote and dangerous villages of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Since that time in the mid-90’s, Greg Mortenson has lived an amazing life - building more than 55 schools for the unknown and invisible.

Here is a clay carrier. It’s job is a plate to carry food, or bread. It started out as average, plain, no color. It was broken and put back together. Each piece represents a person and part of a team on an Awakening spiritual weekend who came to serve God in their specific role so that God would be glorified. It was broken, painted in uniqueness of each person’s call, and put back together the beautiful vessel which carry something more important than itself.

So what shall we do about it? Well, I know and you know it is sometimes difficult to take a message from God’s Word and apply it right away to your life. So I’d like to try something with you a little different today.

I’d like us when we pray in a moment to open our hands like this - in your lap, or above your head, open to the sky, open to God. If you’re that extrovert, you may hold them high, if you’re more introvert like me, in your lap!

But think of yourself like an empty clay pot or an open clay platter. And hold open your hands, expecting God to speak to you – let your open hands be a symbol of your open heart to receive what God might speak to you. Then I’m going to open us in prayer. With your eyes closed, focusing on what is unseen, a picture of God in your mind, we’ll pray for God to lead us in one specific way we might serve as his clay jar – open to him – ready to serve him – however that may be unique for you –God’s call at this point, even this week, this month in your life.

Let’s pray. With open hands, open hearts, and eyes closed, but minds focused on you, we ask you to speak to us – and tell us what we need to hear – and how we might serve you as clay pots - as messengers of your grace and power. Help us to hear you even in the silence.

Silence

We are all called to follow Jesus in a specific way.