Pretty or Ugly?

NIV Romans 9:21 Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?

NLT Romans 9:21 When a potter makes jars out of clay, doesn’t he have a right to use the same lump of clay to make one jar for decoration and another to throw garbage into?

These two versions of the same verse from Romans 9 reminded me of a game our grandson used to play with us. He liked Pokémon trading cards and he would go through the images one by one asking us to decide if it was pretty or ugly. This verse make me feel the same way that I felt about those cards. I didn’t understand why my grandson wanted us to decide.  I didn’t want to look at the same cards over and over. I didn’t even like those cards but I loved the little boy so I did it.

I do know when I read these two verses I decided the NIV words about the clay pot “for special purposes and some for common use” was the “pretty” version and the NLT’s “for decoration and another to throw garbage into ” was the “ugly.” The theme of Romans 9 as a whole seems to be God does what he wants, when he wants and with whom he wants. It’s much easier to say I believe that than to understand it.

At lot of faith is based on understanding and I think maybe that’s what makes this chapter so important. It’s the challenge that God can use words to demand a human response like pretty or ugly.  Roman’s 9:21 forces me to “feel” and respond.  I don’t understand it but I love the one who says look again and decide… so I do it.