GOD’S MATERPIECE

We often focus on our flaws and character elements that seem incomplete or imperfect. We judge ourselves harshly, forgetting the divine perspective from which we are seen.

An early church father, St. Gregory Nazianzus, poetically described Christ as “the skilled artist who gently restores the image of God in us in all its beauty.” This imagery reminds us of our inherent worth and beauty in God’s eyes.

Imagine a sculptor diligently working on a block of marble. The process might look rough and harsh to the untrained eye as chunks of marble are chipped away. However, the sculptor sees not what is being removed but the beauty of the form emerging from within the stone.

Similarly, Christ sees beyond our surface. He perceives the beauty of God’s image in each of us, an image He lovingly restores with each stroke of His divine hand. It is through His love, His sacrifice, and His grace that we are being reshaped into the fullness of our potential.

Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Friends, we are not random creations or accidental beings—we are deliberate works of art fashioned by the hands of a Master.

Let us not see ourselves through the lens of our imperfections but through the eyes of Christ, who sees us as beautiful, restored, and beloved masterpieces. And may this vision inspire us to live out the good works He has prepared for us, confidently walking in the path of His making.

Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan
April 13, 2024