Be Ye Clean

“Be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord.” (Isaiah 52:11). This is clearly a commandment, and while it may seem justified to interpret it as an injunction - if you're going to bear the vessels of the Lord, then be clean or else don't even think about it - but a more hopeful interpretation would be as an invocation - come, dirty as you are, and bear the vessels of the Lord and through your willingness to serve, you will be made clean. None of us are sufficiently clean to bear the vessels of the Lord, but borne the vessels of the Lord must be, and for those who choose to step up, unclean and unworthy as they are, and bear the vessels of the Lord, the Lord has the blessings of forgiveness, cleanliness, and healing reserved and waiting for them. Imagine that the cleansing, purifying, Living Waters are contained in the vessels of the Lord. As we bear the vessels of the Lord imperfectly, staggering and stumbling as we fight to keep our footing and our grip on the vessels, some of that Living Water will, from time to time, slosh over the edge and fall on us. Every time we trip and fall and almost drop the vessels of the Lord, we might assume that this is the final proof that we are too unclean and unworthy to be entrusted with such an important responsibility. But it is through our stumbles that the Living Water splashes onto us and cleanses us. The longer we bear the vessels of the Lord, the cleaner we will become, and the more surefooted we will be. Unclean and imperfect servants are all that the Lord has ever had to work with but those who choose to heed the call to serve and bear His vessels will little by little become cleaner and purer and more perfect.

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Rube Goldberg Machine