Is Christ beautiful?

"One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple." (Psa 27:4 ESV)

A story.

The property was deserted, a tangle of weeds, broken branches and litter mingled in with what might be take to be the remains of - maybe a flower bed. Broken windows, a door that would not swing shut, and a sagging roof line along with muted peeling paint highlighted the structure. All the neighborhood though the guy was crazy, a fool, for sure. He himself was not a handsome man, just average. He did not exactly move in, but he did live there, perhaps one might say he camped there.

The demolition was not total – some wood removed here and there so that structural pieces might be torn out and replaced. Then doing a stretch of days, predicted by the weather man to be fairly dry, the roof came off, only to be made new.

By late fall new windows and doors hung in their place ready to do what they were designed to do. All winter lights shone through those windows causing speculation, leading to comments about which room was being worked on, accompanied by the occasional “I wonder if he might be warm enough in there?”

Spring came, and less smoke wafted from the chimney. Now, almost a year had passed. The litter and junk seemed to be disappearing, the digging began. Weeds came out, the soil was built up, new and old bulbs, plants and seeds took their places. During the summer and fall gardens took on an air of promise – 'Wait – another year or two!'

Finished work was evident on the outside when winter returned. Now there was some expressed admiration, and a hope of someday seeing what the inside of the place might look like.

Spring marked a continued expansion of the dominion of this man. Then he was gone!

It was not until nearly two weeks later that the local gossips eagerly reported for a fact the he was back and that he had a woman with him, a cow, a horse a few sheep and some chickens, as well.

Over the years the family was blessed and grew. He kept the place well and all agreed that she was a wonderful companion. New comers would remark on the house and the beauty of the grounds, but the old timers they knew – a ruin had been restored – a man had come, a man with a heart for work, sweat and long hours. A man with skilled hands and a heart for that which is good and fruitful. He (along with her) was beautiful!

What beauty is there to behold when we look upon Christ?

(To be continued)