I think a rose is the most beautiful, incredibly made flower of all the flowers that God created. When I hold one and observe the magnificence of His handiwork, it speaks to me of love and tenderness. The petals are soft and the fragrance is wonderful.
Every flower that grows in nature shows the endearing love of God and His creativity. He does all things well, but I fail to understand the logic and reasoning behind the flesh piercing thorns that are on the stem of a rose. Why does such beauty have such ugliness?
Perhaps the thorns are there for the appreciation of the admirer. To love a rose, yet hate its thorns sounds like an oxymoron. How can something be loved and hated at the same time? This is an easy question to answer. The thorns are God’s way of reminding people that to enjoy beauty, it comes with a price of sacrifice. Pick a rose and you will find out what I mean.
Occasionally I’ll pick one from my rose garden and place it in a small vase and set it on the kitchen counter for my wife’s enjoyment. No matter how careful I am when I pick it, I inevitably prick my finger on a thorn. To see the smile that a rose brings to my wife’s face is worth the pain in picking one.
I believe the thorns on the stem are to help remind us of the pain that Jesus endured on the cross as He hung there and gave His life for the salvation of every person born.
When a sinner asks Jesus to forgive them of their sins and becomes a Christian, this is a sweet smelling savor to God. The fragrance of the transformation from sin to holiness is an awesome aroma to Him, like the rose is to our sense of smell.
To fully appreciate the beauty of a rose, a person must stop and smell them rather than hurrying through life unaware of their presence and beauty. We get so busy living life that we sometimes fail to stop and smell the roses.
(Song of Solomon 2:1), “I am the rose of Sharon
Jesus, the rose of Sharon, is waiting for people like you and me to stop and realize His beauty. The Lord wants us to take in the aroma of His saving grace, but the competition of this world and the intensity of a computer age prevent many people from doing so. Jesus is God’s perfection of love. We must see His beauty to fully appreciate it, but Satan blinds our vision at times.
When a rose is given to someone as an expression of love, that someone is a very special person. The individual that picked it, more than likely, shed a drop of blood in doing so. The rose is not offered without sacrifice. Though pain was expected, the rose was picked anyway, because of love.
Jesus knew His destiny meant pain and suffering, yet this perfect rose thought us worthy to give His life that we might be saved from sin. He shed His blood for mankind, because He loved us with a never ending love.
(John 3:16-18), “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” vs. 17 “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” vs.18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
A way of welcoming in the New Year, as is the custom, is to highlight this occasion with a massive show of flowers displayed on floats in the Rose Parade. Every year this takes place in Pasadena , California
Many onlookers watch with amazement and wonder at the incredible beauty of each float as it passes, while smelling the different fragrances that fill the air in their wake. Whether observing the parade in person or watching it on television, the grandeur and brilliance of every color in the rainbow can be seen on these floats. They are enjoyed and appreciated by all who witness them.
How much blood, sweat, and tears went into the building of the floats and placement of each of the thousands upon thousands of roses and other flowers—as volunteers created each masterpiece? Hundreds of volunteers gave many hours to create each theme of beauty, but not without pain and suffering.
Each creation was accomplished through painstaking endeavors to be enjoyed for a single day. Jesus suffered pain and gave His blood that we can enjoy living for a lifetime and then eternity with Him in heaven.
When watching the Rose Parade, most people see only the beauty of each float. They fail to recognize the contribution of a single rose that made it all possible, together with the sacrifices and suffering that took place behind the scenes as each rose was placed with care.
Another thing of beauty, on a smaller scale, is the ornate, designed cross that people wear around their neck. Many people wear this emblem with pride, but wearing a cross has become commonplace to some people. A person that observes, or wears a cross may appreciate its design, filigree, and luster of the silver or gold only, yet miss the true meaning behind its beauty.
The cross represents freedom through pain and suffering. It speaks of Jesus and the sacrifice He made on the cross and the blood He shed. Appreciation for what the cross stands for should be the focus when looking at it and not the beauty of the cross itself.
Floats in the Rose Parade are only expressions of many dedicated people for one cause, to create a masterpiece. The cross is an expression of one dedicated person for the cause of many, the redemption of all mankind.
The Rose of Sharon gave His life to present His masterpiece to God in heaven. We are this masterpiece—you and me—the “Church”.
Written by,
Papa Boyd
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