The Beautiful Diversity of Household Utensils

Scripture:

2Tim. 2:20   In a large house there are utensils not only of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for special use, some for ordinary. ²¹ All who cleanse themselves of the things I have mentioned will become special utensils, dedicated and useful to the owner of the house, ready for every good work. 

Observation:

For the household to function at its highest caliber, there is a need for a full range of utensils. Hospitality is a reflection of a home and the earthly kingdom of God is to reflect the reality of the eternal koinonia found within God. Instruments are required for that hospitality and this includes household utensils. The wide variety of utensils required means that there must be great diversity within the household; hence, within the kingdom. 

In ancient practice some vessels were considered more valuable than others because of the materials out of which they were made. Within the kingdom those dividing walls were destroyed because all were needed for the kingdom’s purposes to be accomplished. No matter what kind of vessel, fancy, or simple, once cleansed, they became special utensils. They were now dedicated for kingdom work, and as a result, each unique and individual piece stood ready to be used for God’s good work. 

Application:

Chuck and I arrived home yesterday after being gone for nearly six weeks. In the last few months we have been working on getting settled into our new home, but part of it was not yet completed. We have been waiting on the kitchen so that we can get completely unpacked. When we got home the kitchen was ready to be moved into, and we were excited. Trying to deal with our jet-lag we decided that we should do all that we could to keep busy so we unpacked our suitcases and then began unpacking the kitchen dishes and utensils. There we discovered a wide array of items, some of which we have not seen in a very long time. Sometimes we looked at an item and wondered why in the world we had that one! 

At the same time, I kept looking for a place to put each one of these special and unique items. You see, we enjoy sharing hospitality with our family and friends, and I love using the different dishes and utensils that we own. On their own, these utensils may look like a hodgepodge, but when they are combined and put together for hospitality they create something more beautiful than we can imagine. 

Take the can opener for instance. It certainly doesn’t make a very beautiful centerpiece, nor does it make a nice serving dish. However, it’s really good at opening those cans of olives which we enjoy eating on special occasions. If we didn’t have the can opener, we wouldn’t get to enjoy the olives. 

The problem in the kingdom is that some utensils or dishes look prettier than others. We can become envious of those who look nicer, or who have, a perceived better role than we do. Who wouldn’t want to be the beautiful centerpiece? But the centerpiece may only be used once, lovely as it is, and then forgotten, but a can opener may be used almost every single day. 

The beautiful diversity of the household utensils needs to be seen within the kingdom of God. There is no reason to be jealous of one person or another. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, the most ordinary can be transformed into the extraordinary and used to serve in the King’s household. The more diversity, the finer the hospitality. Just imagine enjoying the delicacies created by the instruments from every nation of this world! It’s a never-ending feast that reminds us of the marriage supper of the lamb. The variety of cleansed utensils opens up new possibilities that become a glimpse of heaven. Cleansed, ready, and always prepared to be of good use to the Master. 

Prayer:

Lord, I’m so grateful that you take our messes, and create something of great beauty. Amen.