Eternally Empty Jars of Clay?

Bill Brown ... Xiamen University
"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us." 2 Cor.4:7 我们有这宝贝放在瓦器里，要显明这莫大的力，是出于神，不是出于我们。歌林多後书4:7

"Clay vessels' usefulness is in their emptiness. Doors and windows in the walls are useful for their empty space." Lao Tzu, Daodejing v.11埏埴以为器，当其无，有器之用。凿户牖以为室，当其无， 道德经:11

Lao Tzu, founder of Taoism, had a good point when he said a clay vessel could be filled only when it is empty. The problem was that he urged us to empty the vessel of vain or useless philosophies, but then offered nothing to actually fill the empty vessel.

In his distrust of vain philosophies, Lao Tzu sounded somewhat like the Apostle Paul, who wrote in 1 Tim. 6:20, "Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge." 提摩太阿，你要保守所托付你的，躲避世俗的虚谈，和那敌真道似是而非的学问。" 提摩太前书6:20

Eternally Empty Vessel? Lao Tzu, like Paul, warned us against filling ourselves with wrong knowledge, but unlike Paul, Lao Tzu lacked an alternative to fill men's hearts, so his solution for achieving peace and happiness throughout the country was to keep people's minds and hearts empty and their bellies full. He wrote,

"So the wise, in governing, empties their minds, fills their bellies, weakens their wills, and strengthens their bones. He tries to keep them empty of knowledge and without desire, and if some have knowledge, he keeps them from using it. Inaction brings universal good order." Dao Dejing v.3 道德经3: "是以圣人之治，虚其心，实其腹，弱其志，强其骨。常使民无知无欲。使夫智者不敢为也。为无为，则无不治。"

It may well have brought stability, but mindlessness and emptiness seems a heavy price to pay for it--and a waste of our 70 years of life.

Moving Full Vessels. Lao Tzu also said, "It is better to leave a vessel unfilled, than to try carrying it full." Lao Tzu Daodejing v.9 9 道德经: 持而盈之，不如其已； Again, he is correct. But if minds and hearts are empty, people would not be carrying the empty vessel anywhere because they lack purpose, goal and direction. So Lao Tzu's point is philosophically piquant but practically speaking rather irrelevant if the vessel is eternally empty.

Empty Vessels Going Nowhere. Lao Tzu was, needless to say, a brilliant man, with penetrating insights into humanity on both individual and social levels, but in the end he could counter the formalistic and deadening systems and rituals of Confucianism only with a philosophy of nothingness (which, however, has very many practical points to it--so I do not throw the baby out with the bathwater).

Full of ourselves. We often say an arrogant, self-centered person is "full of themselves". We do need to empty our vessel of ourselves, but then we need to be filled with a new self--a "new creation in Christ." And we will learn that a vessel filled with Light is not any heavier to carry than an empty vessel, and even if it were, we are not the ones carrying it.

Light Yoke As Jesus said, "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:29,30 我心里柔和谦卑，你们当负我的轭，学我的样式，这样，你们心里就必得享安息。因为我的轭是容易的，我的担子是轻省的。 马太福音11:29,30

Empty Vessel or Full? Our threescore and ten years of life are too brief to pursue it without meaning, purpose or direction. Fortunately, we do not have to. Put your empty vessel to use; and discover that a vessel filled with light is truly useful, and easier to move towards the Goal than either an empty vessel or a vessel filled only with ourselves.
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