Jeremiah 18:4Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

At the conclusion of this message, the Lord directs the Prophet to go (Jer. 18:1) "into the house of the potter." The Prophet follows the command and observes the potter shaping a vessel. When the vessel collapses and shatters, the potter begins to reshape it. For it is written, Jer. 18:4, "And the vessel fell, and was broken; and he made it again into another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it." This illustrates that the potter has dominion over the clay and can mold it according to his desire. Therefore, God instructs the prophet to declare to them:

When Adam, formed from the earth and initially soft and pliable, had not yet been solidified in incorruption like baked clay, sin, akin to flowing water, led to his downfall. Thus, God, wishing to restore him and reshape him as a vessel of honor, first strengthened him within the sacred womb of the Virgin, uniting him with the Word, ultimately granting him life that was indestructible and unblemished. This way, upon his birth, even as the torrents of corruption threatened from outside, he would not fall back into destruction. This truth is illustrated in the familiar parable of the lost sheep, where the Lord poses a question: ‘Which of you, having a hundred sheep, and having lost one of them, will not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and follow the lost one until he finds it?