On that day even the harness bells of the horses will be inscribed with these words: SET APART AS HOLY TO THE LORD. And the cooking pots in the Temple of the LORD will be as sacred as the basins used beside the altar. In fact, every cooking pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be set apart as holy to the LORD Almighty. All who come to worship will be free to use any of these pots to boil their sacrifices. (Zec 14:20-21a NLT)

Zechariah foresees a time when there will be no distinction between sacred and ordinary vessels. Even ordinary cooking pots can become holy objects, useful for service to God and as holy to him as any other.

One of the striking features about the New Covenant (see Jeremiah 31:31ff) is that it eliminates the division between those people who are specially dedicated to God and the rest of his people. Jeremiah spoke of a time where no-one is needed to be a priest over everyone else, saying “You should know God”, because all his people would know him. The prophecy in Joel 2:28 (repeated famously in Acts 2 at Pentecost) was that the Holy Spirit would be poured out on everyone – men, women, servants and masters, old and young. This is what Zechariah has also seen. And the apostle Paul picks up Zechariah’s imagery:

In a wealthy home some utensils are made of gold and silver, and some are made of wood and clay. The expensive ones are used for special occasions, and the cheap ones are for everyday use. If you keep yourself pure, you will be a utensil God can use for his purpose. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work. (2 Timothy 2:20-21 NLT)

So let’s not count ourselves out! Nor should we flatter and inflate anyone who we feel is particularly sacred in God’s eyes. This is not to decry leadership or to mean we fail to recognise different gifts and abilities. But we must not insist that certain Christians are holier than others. We are all set apart for God, all holy – whether we feel like fine silverware or battered aluminium pans. We are New Covenant people: both ordinary and sacred. Thank you Jesus!