«For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost» (Luke 19: 10).
IT WAS MAY 21, 1972. A large crowd had gathered at St. Peter’s Square to hear the Pope’s address when a man suddenly pushed his way through. Security agents were unable to stop him as he made his way to Michelangelo’s The Pieta; he took a hammer from among his clothing and, shouting he was the risen Jesus, furiously hammered it fifteen times. In a matter of seconds, fifty marble fragments came loose from the sculpture.
Then the question that everyone wondered was, «Could that valuable work of art be restored some day?» A little over a year later the world received its answer: the famous sculpture was exhibited once again, protected by vandal-proof glass and completely restored.
It is hard to speak of the work those expert hands performed on The Pieta without remembering the work of restoration that was carried out centuries earlier: the one our Lord performed in favor of all humankind when He consummated His victory over sin and death on the cross at Calvary. Thanks to that glorious victory, the Divine Sculptor works day by day to restore men and women who were living «without God and without hope.»
But that is the end of the comparison between the work of restoring The Pieta and the work Christ still does for repentant sinners. No matter how excellent the work of restoring The Pieta was, it will never equal, or surpass the work of art in its original state. Not so with Christ’s work of redemption in favor of humankind. Let us read why:
«By His life and His death, Christ has achieved even more than recovery from the ruin wrought through sin. It was Satang purpose to bring about an eternal separation between God and man; but in Christ we become more closely united to God than if we had never fallen. In taking our nature, the Saviour has bound Himself to humanity by a tie that is never to be broken. Through the eternal ages He is linked with us.»—The Desire of Ages, ch. 1, p. 25; emphasis added.
Satan wanted to separate us from our Creator, but because of Christ’s work of redemption, we are now more «united to God than if we had never fallen!» Now I have a better understanding of what the prophet Isaiah was trying to say when he wrote, «For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given» (Isaiah 9:6). The Son who was born is ours, and will be ours forever! Oh, the things God does!
Heavenly rather, thank You because Jesus, our blessed Savior, belongs to us today and will be ours for all eternity. Praised be Your name!
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Taken from: Devotional Readings for Adults 2022
“GREAT IS OUR GOD!”
From: FERNANDO ZABALA
Collaborators: Xiomara Perdomo & Angelica Cuate
