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A few weeks ago I was watching ESPN’s special broadcast of Lebron James’ announcement of where he will play basketball next year. He became a free agent at the end of this season, which means his contract with Cleveland had expired affording him the opportunity to play basketball for any team that was interested in signing him.
The show in which he would announce his decision was aptly called “The Decision.” You may have seen some of it as it invaded just about every television channel at 9:00 p.m. I could spend the rest of this blog discussing our fixation as a society with professional athletes but that is a topic for another time.
What I wanted to discuss was the advice Lebron James received from his mother regarding his decision, which he referenced several times during the show. He said that when he asked his mom which team he should join, she said that he needs to do what makes Lebron happy.
On the surface this sounds like sage advice, after all who would advise one of their children to do something that would not make them happy? But I believe her response is indicative of the self-serving mindset that has permeated our American culture for decades now. The idea of sacrificing your wants and desires for someone else or the greater good of society almost seems anti-American, doesn’t it?
If you look throughout the corridors of history, you will find thousands of biographies of men and women who practiced the principle of doing what made them happy. You will also find within their lives bitterness, depression and a sense of never having enough. Many believed that money and the pursuit of fame would be the ultimate fulfillment in life only to discover it left them wanting and empty. Just listen to some of the wealthiest people of their day:
- "The care of $200 million is enough to kill everyone. There is no pleasure in it." - W.H. Vanderbilt
- "I am the most miserable man on earth." - John Jacob Astor
- "I have made many millions, but they have brought me no happiness." - John D. Rockefeller
- "Millionaries seldom smile." - Andrew Carnegie
- "I was happier doing a mechanic's job." - Henry Ford
When our Savior preached the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapter 5 many thought He was insane. The selfless principles he outlined that pictured the kingdom of God were too difficult for many to comprehend. It is easy to see why upon hearing this sermon, His listeners were shocked. Jesus begins each point by naming a group of people normally thought to be unblessed or unblessable and pronounces them blessed because of the presence and availability of the abundant life in God's kingdom to everyone, everywhere, regardless of status, circumstances, or condition.
In Stanley Hauerwas & William Willimon’s book, Resident Aliens, the authors make an important point for consideration, “The Beatitudes are not a strategy for achieving a better society...they are an indication of life in the kingdom of God...to produce a shock within our imaginations and to see life in a radical new way."
In other words, Jesus’ sermon was the antithesis of the culture 2,000 years ago. Not much has changed today. If anything, as our affluence has increased so has our reliance on humanism. Mrs. James statement to her son pinpoints the heart of a society that actually believes professional championship rings will bring a lifetime of happiness. How very sad. I was just reading the other day how the market has been flooded with New England Patriot championship rings from the early part of this decade when the team won three championships in four years. Apparently, the hard economic times has forced many players to sell their rings to pawn shops for ten percent of what the ring is actually worth.
Jesus is offering something much more valuable today than a championship ring or an executive promotion or a new house. He is offering Himself and within that offer comes the abundant life. For you see the abundant life that everyone is pursuing on Wall Street and within corporate America is a mirage. It offers nothing lasting, nothing of eternal value in this life or the next. The true abundant life exists within the life, ministry, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is here at the cross of Calvary that you find what you have been looking for – unconditional love, forgiveness and self-worth. It is Jesus Christ who is the key to all that fulfills and truly satisfies. Much of what He said and taught underscores this marvelous truth. If you do not know Him, I pray you come to know the Savior today (Romans 10:9-10).
"God may thunder His commands from Mount Sinai and men may fear, yet remain at heart exactly as they were before. But let a man once see his God down in the arena as a Man--suffering, tempted, sweating, and agonized, finally dying a criminal's death--and he is a hard man indeed who is untouched." - J.B. Phillips, Your God Is Too Small
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Friday, July 23, 2010
The Suffering/Glory Story
In I Peter 1:11 we read the following, “searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.” I bolded the second half of this verse because it is the only verse in the Bible that combines Christ’s two comings in a singular stream of consciousness. His first coming entailed his human birth, ministry and crucifixion for men’s sins. His second coming will take place at the end of the age of grace when he will come as the King of Kings and rule and reign over the earth.
The Apostle Peter wrote this letter to the various churches in Asia Minor suffering religious persecution. The preceding verses speak of the eternal inheritance these believers have waiting for them in heaven. Verse 11 deals specifically with Jesus Christ’s life and purpose from beginning to end. In just one short phrase, Christ’s sufferings are tied together with His future glory that will be revealed at His second coming.
In thinking of this verse and all that it signifies about our Lord, I decided to list His sufferings and then contrast each trial/tribulation with His future glory that will take place at His second coming. The majority of this list is taken from a commentary I heard a few months ago. I hope it is a blessing.
The Apostle Peter wrote this letter to the various churches in Asia Minor suffering religious persecution. The preceding verses speak of the eternal inheritance these believers have waiting for them in heaven. Verse 11 deals specifically with Jesus Christ’s life and purpose from beginning to end. In just one short phrase, Christ’s sufferings are tied together with His future glory that will be revealed at His second coming.
In thinking of this verse and all that it signifies about our Lord, I decided to list His sufferings and then contrast each trial/tribulation with His future glory that will take place at His second coming. The majority of this list is taken from a commentary I heard a few months ago. I hope it is a blessing.
Suffering – Glory
Wrapped in swaddling clothes – Clothed in majestic purple
Nowhere to lay His head – Heir to all things
Wicked men took up stones to throw at Him – Wicked men will cry out for the stones to fall on them to hide them from Him
Clothed with scarlet robe in mockery – Clothed with the vesture dipped in the blood of His enemies
Wicked soldiers bowed their knee and mocked Him – Every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess He is Lord
His hands were pierced with nails – His hands will carry a sharp sickle
He delivered up His spirit – He is alive forever more
Wearied traveler – Untiring God
Rejected by tiny Israel – Accepted by all nations
Lowly Savior acquainted with grief, man of many sorrows – Mighty God anointed with the oil of gladness
Smitten with a reed – Will rule nations with a rod of iron
Wore the crown of thorns – He shall wear the crown of gold
His feet were pierced with nails – He is the fairest of ten thousand
He was laid in the tomb – He shall sit upon the throne
Friday, July 16, 2010
A Poem for the Hurting
During this past week, I had been studying the Book of James which deals primarily with understanding and overcoming trials and temptations. Many scholars believe the author to be Jesus’ brother. The epistle is addressed to "the twelve tribes scattered abroad" (James 1:1), which is generally taken to mean a Jewish Christian audience but may have been broader in context to include believers in general.
I read several commentaries on this wonderful letter during my study and came across the following poem that really touched my heart as it delicately describes the despair one feels during a trial and then poignantly expresses the unmistakable hope that is found in the One that has overcome the world (John 16:33). I hope and pray it is a blessing to you as you stand firm in the fact that, “no temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” (I Corinthians 10:13)
I read several commentaries on this wonderful letter during my study and came across the following poem that really touched my heart as it delicately describes the despair one feels during a trial and then poignantly expresses the unmistakable hope that is found in the One that has overcome the world (John 16:33). I hope and pray it is a blessing to you as you stand firm in the fact that, “no temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” (I Corinthians 10:13)
"Faith"
I will not doubt, though all my ships at sea
Come drifting home with broken masts and sails;
I shall believe the Hand which never fails,
From seeming evil worketh good for me;
And though I weep because those sails are battered,
Still will I cry, while my best hopes lie shattered,
“I trust in Thee.”
I will not doubt, though all my prayers return
Unanswered from the still, white Realm above;
I shall believe it is an all-wise Love
Which has refused those things for which I yearn;
And though at times I cannot keep from grieving,
Yet the pure ardour of my fixed believing
Undimmed shall burn.
I will not doubt, though sorrows fall like rain,
And troubles swarm like bees about a hive;
I shall believe the heights for which I strive
Are only reached by anguish and by pain;
And though I groan and tremble with my crosses,
I yet shall see, through my severest losses,
The greater gain.
I will not doubt; well-anchored in the faith,
Like some staunch ship, my soul braves every gale;
So strong its courage that it will not fail
To breast the mighty unknown sea of Death.
Oh, may I cry when body parts with spirit,
“I do not doubt,” so listening worlds may hear it,
With my last breath.
Come drifting home with broken masts and sails;
I shall believe the Hand which never fails,
From seeming evil worketh good for me;
And though I weep because those sails are battered,
Still will I cry, while my best hopes lie shattered,
“I trust in Thee.”
I will not doubt, though all my prayers return
Unanswered from the still, white Realm above;
I shall believe it is an all-wise Love
Which has refused those things for which I yearn;
And though at times I cannot keep from grieving,
Yet the pure ardour of my fixed believing
Undimmed shall burn.
I will not doubt, though sorrows fall like rain,
And troubles swarm like bees about a hive;
I shall believe the heights for which I strive
Are only reached by anguish and by pain;
And though I groan and tremble with my crosses,
I yet shall see, through my severest losses,
The greater gain.
I will not doubt; well-anchored in the faith,
Like some staunch ship, my soul braves every gale;
So strong its courage that it will not fail
To breast the mighty unknown sea of Death.
Oh, may I cry when body parts with spirit,
“I do not doubt,” so listening worlds may hear it,
With my last breath.
------------------------------------------------------------
By: Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Monday, July 12, 2010
Great Forgiveness, Great Love
In the seventh chapter of the gospel of Luke we read about a woman in verses 36-50 who came to Jesus as a sinner and left His presence transformed. This story is familiar to most people with even just a cursory knowledge of the Bible because the story is so poignant in its presentation.
It is important to note that the woman in this passage is not named. She is a prostitute who is well known in the town because of her profession. She hears that Jesus will be at Simon’s house. Simon is a Pharisee (a member of an ancient Jewish sect that emphasized strict interpretation and observance of the Mosaic law in both its oral and written form) who invited Jesus to his house to determine if He was truly the promised Messiah or a prophet.
The narrative indicates that the woman came into the house quietly and relatively unnoticed. She also came with a purpose – to anoint Jesus with her perfume. Given her trade as a prostitute, she would have had perfume in her possession but the kind of perfume that's indicated here is not cheap oil but a costly perfume. It's in an alabaster container. An alabaster container specifically was quarried and carved in Egypt. It was a refined kind of marble that would be made into this alabaster container and filled with a very costly perfume and then plugged shut to keep the fragrance from evaporating.
This woman had come to anoint Jesus’ head but upon seeing Him, she begins to cry. As she stands there, her crying turns to weeping. She is flooded with her sinfulness in the presence of Jesus. She lets loose with what Luther called "heart water." Her tears become uncontrollable and as she looks down she sees Jesus’ feet have not been washed, which was the customary practice in those days when a guest enters a house.
She kneels down and lets her tears wash Jesus’ feet. It is important to notice here just how much this woman is crying. Can you see the picture of the broken sinner at the feet of the One who can forgive? Here is this woman, sitting at Jesus’ feet in the house of a Pharisee expressing her gratitude for His forgiveness and she can’t stop weeping. She then lets down her hair to dry his feet because she has no towel. She was manifesting a kind of heartfelt, humble and shameless affection by her actions.
Once His feet were clean, it says she was kissing His feet. John MacArthur says the Greek word used for “kiss” here is “kataphileo” and it is an intense word. It is used in Luke 15:20 of the father's kisses when the prodigal son came home and he fell on his neck and kept embracing and kissing him. It isn't necessarily limited to the lips – it's a clinging, a tight embrace. It is the idea of an intense hug. The text says she continuingly kisses and hugs His feet. What an amazing picture of the outward expression of heartfelt and genuine gratitude.
Of course, Simon and the rest of the guests were disgusted by the woman’s actions given she was a prostitute. Simon actually states that if Jesus was truly a prophet, He would have known that a prostitute was touching Him and would have sent her out. Jesus uses this opportunity to explain to Simon and the rest of the house guests who were also most likely stunned by this event, how a person who is forgiven much, loves much. I do not believe there is another example in the Bible of a person whom Jesus says “she loved much” other than this woman. That is how powerful her display of emotion was in that room. She was literally bursting with love because of all she had been forgiven.
This story also echoes Jesus’ earlier teaching that He came to save sinners much in the same way a doctor comes to heal the sick (Mark 2:17). As you can imagine, Simon and the other Pharisees had a tough time grasping this truth because they believed they were holy before God and that “outward” sinners such as this woman have no place in God’s kingdom. This may have been one of the simplest truths that was the hardest for Jesus to convey because it hits the issue of pride and self-righteousness. Jesus was never a respector of persons in His ministry. He ministered to those who needed His forgiveness and truth be told, we all need His forgiveness. We may not be prostitutes but all of us have sinned much and need much forgiveness.
Have you come to Christ in faith and embraced Him and experienced this powerful and total transformation of forgiveness so that you're literally filled with joy and gratitude and love? Every Christian should be marked by that type of love because this is the defining attribute of a life that has been lost in Christ. At the very heart of the gospel is forgiveness. It is the single most important virtue because it is the very essence of all that we believe as professing Christians and enables us to forgive others. If you have not already, please come today to the feet of Jesus and let His forgiveness wash over you.
“Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heal that has crushed it.” - Mark Twain
It is important to note that the woman in this passage is not named. She is a prostitute who is well known in the town because of her profession. She hears that Jesus will be at Simon’s house. Simon is a Pharisee (a member of an ancient Jewish sect that emphasized strict interpretation and observance of the Mosaic law in both its oral and written form) who invited Jesus to his house to determine if He was truly the promised Messiah or a prophet.
The narrative indicates that the woman came into the house quietly and relatively unnoticed. She also came with a purpose – to anoint Jesus with her perfume. Given her trade as a prostitute, she would have had perfume in her possession but the kind of perfume that's indicated here is not cheap oil but a costly perfume. It's in an alabaster container. An alabaster container specifically was quarried and carved in Egypt. It was a refined kind of marble that would be made into this alabaster container and filled with a very costly perfume and then plugged shut to keep the fragrance from evaporating.
This woman had come to anoint Jesus’ head but upon seeing Him, she begins to cry. As she stands there, her crying turns to weeping. She is flooded with her sinfulness in the presence of Jesus. She lets loose with what Luther called "heart water." Her tears become uncontrollable and as she looks down she sees Jesus’ feet have not been washed, which was the customary practice in those days when a guest enters a house.
She kneels down and lets her tears wash Jesus’ feet. It is important to notice here just how much this woman is crying. Can you see the picture of the broken sinner at the feet of the One who can forgive? Here is this woman, sitting at Jesus’ feet in the house of a Pharisee expressing her gratitude for His forgiveness and she can’t stop weeping. She then lets down her hair to dry his feet because she has no towel. She was manifesting a kind of heartfelt, humble and shameless affection by her actions.
Once His feet were clean, it says she was kissing His feet. John MacArthur says the Greek word used for “kiss” here is “kataphileo” and it is an intense word. It is used in Luke 15:20 of the father's kisses when the prodigal son came home and he fell on his neck and kept embracing and kissing him. It isn't necessarily limited to the lips – it's a clinging, a tight embrace. It is the idea of an intense hug. The text says she continuingly kisses and hugs His feet. What an amazing picture of the outward expression of heartfelt and genuine gratitude.
Of course, Simon and the rest of the guests were disgusted by the woman’s actions given she was a prostitute. Simon actually states that if Jesus was truly a prophet, He would have known that a prostitute was touching Him and would have sent her out. Jesus uses this opportunity to explain to Simon and the rest of the house guests who were also most likely stunned by this event, how a person who is forgiven much, loves much. I do not believe there is another example in the Bible of a person whom Jesus says “she loved much” other than this woman. That is how powerful her display of emotion was in that room. She was literally bursting with love because of all she had been forgiven.
This story also echoes Jesus’ earlier teaching that He came to save sinners much in the same way a doctor comes to heal the sick (Mark 2:17). As you can imagine, Simon and the other Pharisees had a tough time grasping this truth because they believed they were holy before God and that “outward” sinners such as this woman have no place in God’s kingdom. This may have been one of the simplest truths that was the hardest for Jesus to convey because it hits the issue of pride and self-righteousness. Jesus was never a respector of persons in His ministry. He ministered to those who needed His forgiveness and truth be told, we all need His forgiveness. We may not be prostitutes but all of us have sinned much and need much forgiveness.
Have you come to Christ in faith and embraced Him and experienced this powerful and total transformation of forgiveness so that you're literally filled with joy and gratitude and love? Every Christian should be marked by that type of love because this is the defining attribute of a life that has been lost in Christ. At the very heart of the gospel is forgiveness. It is the single most important virtue because it is the very essence of all that we believe as professing Christians and enables us to forgive others. If you have not already, please come today to the feet of Jesus and let His forgiveness wash over you.
“Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heal that has crushed it.” - Mark Twain
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Ode to a Rose
A few years ago, I had to take my youngest daughter to an ophthalmologist (eye surgeon) to have her eye sight evaluated. Over a period of a few months, I had developed a close relationship with her doctor. After much discussion and prayer, my husband and I decided to go against his recommendation for eye surgery in favor of seeing a vision specialist. It was a very difficult decision to leave his practice. Upon notifying him of our choice to leave his care, I sent him a gospel tract in the mail and explained to him that our decision was based on much research and prayer as we sought the Lord's guidance. A few days later, I received a letter in the mail from him thanking me for my letter and gospel tract. He went on to explain that his father was a Methodist minister who had recently passed away. He mentioned that his father was “the most decent man I ever knew.” He then enclosed a poem that his father had written which was read during the Memorial Service. I have included the poem in its entirety below. It may be one of the most poignant poems that perfectly captures the beauty of God in creation. I hope it blesses you as much as it has me.
"Ode to a Rose"
Gazing at a rose today—
No—
Rather contemplating a rose—
I wondered-
Why is it beautiful?
What is beauty?
I enjoy the rose.
No—
More than enjoy.
I share the joy of God
That is in the rose.
It has
Beauty
Symmetry
Color, rich and full—
Balance—and yet—
And yet – not quite symmetrical
Not quite in balance—
Titled a little to one side
Like a flirtatious school girl—
Smiling wickedly, mischievously.
I say it is beautiful. I love to gaze at it. Contemplate it,
Drink in every “word” it says to me—
For it is saying something. I don’t quite know what—
But that’s because I’ve never taken the time to learn
The language of a rose.
Gazing at a rose today—
No—
Rather contemplating a rose—
I wondered-
Why is it beautiful?
What is beauty?
I enjoy the rose.
No—
More than enjoy.
I share the joy of God
That is in the rose.
It has
Beauty
Symmetry
Color, rich and full—
Balance—and yet—
And yet – not quite symmetrical
Not quite in balance—
Titled a little to one side
Like a flirtatious school girl—
Smiling wickedly, mischievously.
I say it is beautiful. I love to gaze at it. Contemplate it,
Drink in every “word” it says to me—
For it is saying something. I don’t quite know what—
But that’s because I’ve never taken the time to learn
The language of a rose.
It speaks to me of Joy – of completeness, wholeness, of excitement of the undiscovered.
Man can make a rose of paper and wax – but it’s not the same.
It has the outward form, but lacks the charm, the spell, the mystery.
Mystery. That’s the word.
For if a man had never seen a rose, he could never imagine one.
Man can imitate, with paper and wax, what God has created.
But the rose, its beauty, its mystery, its charm, comes from God.
No—
It is of God.
The rose is saying, “The beauty which you find so interesting, so charming, is the beauty of God.
The fragrance, so gentle, so peaceful, so quiet is the gentle peace of God.
The rose says to me—
Be gay
Be full
Be joyous
Be just what God made you
Then your life will radiate a charm, a mysterious gentle peace
For you too are God’s precious possession.
-Paul O. Reese (1914-2007)
Man can make a rose of paper and wax – but it’s not the same.
It has the outward form, but lacks the charm, the spell, the mystery.
Mystery. That’s the word.
For if a man had never seen a rose, he could never imagine one.
Man can imitate, with paper and wax, what God has created.
But the rose, its beauty, its mystery, its charm, comes from God.
No—
It is of God.
The rose is saying, “The beauty which you find so interesting, so charming, is the beauty of God.
The fragrance, so gentle, so peaceful, so quiet is the gentle peace of God.
The rose says to me—
Be gay
Be full
Be joyous
Be just what God made you
Then your life will radiate a charm, a mysterious gentle peace
For you too are God’s precious possession.
-Paul O. Reese (1914-2007)
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Pondering the Pearly Gates
As the 21st chapter of the Book Revelation opens, we read that God will create a new heaven and a new earth. The old earth and the old heaven have passed away after the White Throne judgment which takes place after the second coming of Christ. These events are described in chapters 19 and 20 if you would like to read about them. Toward the middle of chapter 21, the Apostle John, who is the author of the Book, provides great detail regarding the physical attributes of the New Jerusalem. He describes the gates of the city in verse 21, “The twelve gates were twelve pearls, and each individual gate was of one pearl.” I have to admit, upon first reading this verse it is hard to imagine an entire gate composed of one pearl but that is what the text says and we know nothing is impossible with God who spoke creation into existence back in Genesis. What I wanted to discuss, however, is not the physical dimensions of the gates but why God chose a pearl as the material.
The preceding verses tell us that the foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones, including jasper, sapphire, chalcedony, emerald, sardonyx, sardius, chrysolite, beryl, topaz, chrysoprase, jacinth, and amethyst. God could have chosen any one of these materials for the gates but he chose a pearl. Why?
Of course, the Scripture does not tell us specifically why God chose any of the jewels he did when he created this city but I heard one commentator say that he believed God selected the pearl for the gates because an oyster has to suffer affliction in order to create the pearl. He compared this process with the suffering of Christ upon the cross as the means by which believers enter heaven.
I have to confess that I always believed a pearl was formed from a grain of sand entering the oyster but this notion is false. According to Wikipedia and several other sites that I researched on this topic, a pearl is indeed formed when an oyster or mollusk is either invaded or injured, “Pearls are formed inside the shell of certain mollusks as a defense mechanism to a potentially threatening irritant such as a parasite inside its shell, or an attack from outside, injuring the mantle tissue. The mollusk creates a pearl sac to seal off the irritation. The mantle of the mollusk deposits layers of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) in the form of the mineral aragonite or a mixture of aragonite and calcite. The combination of aragonite and conchiolin is called nacre, which makes up mother-of-pearl. The commonly held belief that a grain of sand acts as the irritant is in fact rarely the case. Typical stimuli include organic material, parasites, or even damage that displaces mantle tissue to another part of the animal's body. These small particles or organisms enter the animal when the shell valves are open for feeding or respiration.”
This fact of biology is quite stunning in lieu of the cross. The mollusk creates one of the most precious and treasured jewels on the face of the earth when it is attacked and injured. Our Savior when falsely accused, beaten and nailed on a cross, shed his precious blood to enable the unjust to enter heaven. Heaven therefore, is attained through suffering and travail; through redemption and blood; through the anguish of the cross. A pearl is made through a little animal that is wounded. So, it stands to reason that we enter the new heaven through a gate made of pearl.
To be honest, the concept gives me chills. It just continues to underscore the fact that nothing in the Word of God is there by chance or without precise purpose. It also emphasizes the law of human nature that anything that has true value in this life and the next is only achieved through sacrifice. It is sacrifice which produces beauty, splendor and magnificence. I think this is where our comparison of the oyster and Jesus diverts. The oyster is doing what is natural to preserve its life and in the process a wonderful little treasure is created. Jesus Christ willfully gave up his body to be beaten and sacrificed to attain eternal life for anyone that puts their faith and trust in Him for the forgiveness of sin (I John 5:11-13). He sits at the right hand of the Father now making intercession for those of us that have trusted Him as our personal Savior (Romans 8:34). If you do not know Him, please get to know Him today so you can one day enter through the gates of pearl into the Holy City whose builder and maker is God.
“The best moment of a Christian's life is his last one, because it is the one that is nearest heaven.” - Charles Spurgeon
The preceding verses tell us that the foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones, including jasper, sapphire, chalcedony, emerald, sardonyx, sardius, chrysolite, beryl, topaz, chrysoprase, jacinth, and amethyst. God could have chosen any one of these materials for the gates but he chose a pearl. Why?
Of course, the Scripture does not tell us specifically why God chose any of the jewels he did when he created this city but I heard one commentator say that he believed God selected the pearl for the gates because an oyster has to suffer affliction in order to create the pearl. He compared this process with the suffering of Christ upon the cross as the means by which believers enter heaven.
I have to confess that I always believed a pearl was formed from a grain of sand entering the oyster but this notion is false. According to Wikipedia and several other sites that I researched on this topic, a pearl is indeed formed when an oyster or mollusk is either invaded or injured, “Pearls are formed inside the shell of certain mollusks as a defense mechanism to a potentially threatening irritant such as a parasite inside its shell, or an attack from outside, injuring the mantle tissue. The mollusk creates a pearl sac to seal off the irritation. The mantle of the mollusk deposits layers of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) in the form of the mineral aragonite or a mixture of aragonite and calcite. The combination of aragonite and conchiolin is called nacre, which makes up mother-of-pearl. The commonly held belief that a grain of sand acts as the irritant is in fact rarely the case. Typical stimuli include organic material, parasites, or even damage that displaces mantle tissue to another part of the animal's body. These small particles or organisms enter the animal when the shell valves are open for feeding or respiration.”
This fact of biology is quite stunning in lieu of the cross. The mollusk creates one of the most precious and treasured jewels on the face of the earth when it is attacked and injured. Our Savior when falsely accused, beaten and nailed on a cross, shed his precious blood to enable the unjust to enter heaven. Heaven therefore, is attained through suffering and travail; through redemption and blood; through the anguish of the cross. A pearl is made through a little animal that is wounded. So, it stands to reason that we enter the new heaven through a gate made of pearl.
To be honest, the concept gives me chills. It just continues to underscore the fact that nothing in the Word of God is there by chance or without precise purpose. It also emphasizes the law of human nature that anything that has true value in this life and the next is only achieved through sacrifice. It is sacrifice which produces beauty, splendor and magnificence. I think this is where our comparison of the oyster and Jesus diverts. The oyster is doing what is natural to preserve its life and in the process a wonderful little treasure is created. Jesus Christ willfully gave up his body to be beaten and sacrificed to attain eternal life for anyone that puts their faith and trust in Him for the forgiveness of sin (I John 5:11-13). He sits at the right hand of the Father now making intercession for those of us that have trusted Him as our personal Savior (Romans 8:34). If you do not know Him, please get to know Him today so you can one day enter through the gates of pearl into the Holy City whose builder and maker is God.
“The best moment of a Christian's life is his last one, because it is the one that is nearest heaven.” - Charles Spurgeon
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