Seeing Beauty In The Beast

Do you remember the Walt Disney movie Beauty and the Beast? The movie's lesson is that what we think is ugly (a beast) can become beautiful over time and with perspective. Conversely, sometimes what we think is beautiful, handsome, or desirable on the outside is a beast on the inside, like the arrogant hunter Gaston. 

Perhaps the biggest lesson is learned by Prince Adam, who is handsome on the outside but spoiled and unfeeling on the inside. The curse turns Prince Adam into a beast to show him the beast inside and what real beauty is all about. He falls in love with Belle, whose inner beauty speaks louder than her outer beauty. Once he learns that lesson, the curse breaks, and a new, transformed Adam becomes a Prince again. 

Here's an example of seeing beauty in the beast. The only survivor of a shipwreck washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed fervently for God to rescue him. Every day he scanned the horizon for help, but no one came. Exhausted, he eventually built a small hut from driftwood to protect himself from the elements and store his few possessions. 

One day, after scavenging for food, he returned home to find his little hut in flames, smoke rolling into the sky. Everything was lost. He was stunned with grief and anger. "God, how could you do this to me?" he cried. Early the next day, he woke to the sound of a ship approaching the island. It had come to rescue him. "How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers. "We saw your smoke signal," they replied. The beast of his predicament lit the fire that produced the beauty of rescue.

We see the concept of discovering the beauty in the beast three days before Christ's crucifixion. Knowing His time had come, Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. "And He withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt and [began] to pray, saying, ‘Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.’ Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him and strengthened Him. And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling upon the ground.” Luke 22:41-44

Jesus knew what was coming next. He would face the beast of death on a cross. He had to face the beast of every sin committed in the world…past, present, and future. He would face the beast of being betrayed by one of His own disciples. He knew He would face the beast of being rejected by one of His closest disciples and friends. Worst of all, He knew He would face something He had never experienced before: the beast of separation from God and being forsaken by God for three days.

The Bible says, "For God took the sinless Christ and poured into him our sins. Then, in exchange, he poured God's goodness into us!" 2 Corinthians 5:21 Defeating those five beasts on Resurrection Day (Easter) created a beautiful new morning for Jesus. Then He shared that beauty with us. Jesus' crucifixion, death, and burial didn’t end in the agony of defeat and death. Jesus’ resurrection on Easter was the ecstasy of life over death. It marked the dawning of eternal life for everyone who believes.   

Maybe you are facing a beast. Perhaps it’s just the beast you need to face to get unstuck. After you do, you may be stunned by the beauty and peace you receive. Personal elevation comes after you discover the lessons you learned after the engagement. The Bible says, "These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times; the lavish celebration prepared for us. There's far more here than meets the eye. What we see today is gone tomorrow. But the things we can't see now will last forever." 2 Corinthians 4:18

Yes, most of the time, there is beauty in the beast you’re facing. There certainly was for Jesus and the disciples on Easter Day. An unknown author penned the essence of Easter in their narrative below.  

You and I cannot come to Jesus through our natural mind, our vast education or experience, or our ‘supercalifragilisticexpialidocious’ algorithms. We come to Jesus by faith. That doesn’t mean that we throw our brains away. It means that we don’t let our brains throw faith away. That's hard to swallow for some folks, but there's real beauty in the beast of letting go and letting God have your life. You'll find that God has both brains and faith. 

Life is chaotic these days. But maybe these unsettling times are just what we need to see that we need a Savior. It's like God is saying, "Earthlings, here's what you look like when you try to take me out of the picture." Perhaps after the dust settles, we will realize how very little we need, how very much we do have, and the real value of human connection with God and each other. 

What good could come out of the beasts in the past, present, and future? What beauty could come of our trials, false starts, disappointments, and the like? Something beautiful, something good. And beauty from the understanding and maturity we gain when we see beauty in the beast. Here’s real wisdom to consider. Growth=change; change=loss; loss=pain; pain=growth. There’s beauty in that beast!

Oswald Sanders said, "Leave the irreparable past in God's hands, and step out into the irresistible future with God."