April 14

Transforming Power

These are the twelve He appointed: Simon (whom He named Peter), — Mark 3:16 BSB

In a European art gallery, two works by a great artist are displayed side by side—his first and his last. The first is rough and full of flaws; the last is a masterpiece. The contrast shows the results of long practice and growth.

The two names—Simon and Peter—are like these two pictures. “Simon” represents the rough fisherman of Galilee, impulsive, ignorant, and imperfect. “Peter” shows us the apostle from the Acts and the Epistles—a solid rock, strong and steadfast, a man of great power whose Spirit-filled words brought thousands to repentance. His gentle, tender spirit shines through his words, bringing blessings to all who hear them. He became a noble martyr who gave his life for his Lord. When we study these two pictures together, we see what grace can do in a person’s life.

It’s not hard to take roses, lilies, and rare flowers and arrange them into something beautiful. But to take weeds, dead grasses, dried leaves, and torn and faded petals, and make something lovely from them—that’s a true test of skill. It wouldn’t be difficult to take an angel and turn them into a glorious messenger. But to take someone like Simon, or Saul, or John Newton, or John Bunyan, and transform them into holy saints and mighty apostles—that is the test of power. Yet that’s exactly what Christ did, and He’s been doing it ever since. He takes the poorest, most despised, and worthless materials—often outcasts—and turns them into saints whiter than snow.

The sculptor saw an angel in the rough, blackened stone, rejected and thrown away. When others looked again, they saw an angel carved from the block. Christ can take us, rough and unpolished as we are, and, in His hands, shape our lives into something pure and beautiful until He presents us faultless and perfect before the throne.