Crowned With Glory

Read: Luke 12:22-34

Look at the lilies and how they grow. . . . Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? Luke 12:27-28

IN WORD

Maybe this is just a promise about provision. Maybe Jesus simply wanted to assure His followers of God’s ability to clothe and feed them. But the heart of God shows up in even greater depth between the lines of this passage. One of His goals in creation is to clothe His world with His own glory. He doesn’t just want to clothe us; He wants to make us shine.

It would be easy to feel helpless and hopeless about that. After all, if not even Solomon was clothed as beautifully as the flowers of the field, how can we measure up? But Jesus isn’t telling us to measure up. He’s telling us to relax. God has put glory into everything He has made, including us. Above all His creatures, we are made in His image for many reasons, one of which is to carry His splendor. We don’t have to do anything to qualify for that privilege other than allow Him to fill us and then simply be ourselves. No striving or straining is required; in fact, that only gets in the way. We were created “a little lower than God” and the angels, specifically to be vessels of glory and honor (Psalm 8:5; Hebrews 2:6-7). The King wants the members of His Kingdom to look a lot like Him.

IN DEED

If we ever had the impression that God is interested only in obedience—in the compliant behavior of human servants—this passage corrects us. God loves beauty. He crowns His creation with glory not because He has a big ego but because He delights in extravagant generosity. Like an artist whose creativity and sensitivity show up in the finer details of His masterpiece, God’s artistry is devoted even to the throw-away foliage of the fields. How much more is He interested in making us beautiful in His eyes? We can relax—and fully entrust ourselves to the zeal of the Artist.

ADDITIONAL READING: Psalm 8

God passes through the thicket to the world, and wherever his glance falls he turns all things to beauty.

JOHN OF THE CROSS