This is the fourth devotional we’ve had on the key themes in Beauty and the Beast. To see links to previous three as well as information on the rest of our Beauty and the Beast series, see our Beauty and the Beast Adventure.
Thoughts on redemption (because here at Redeemed Reader, we love redemption!)
Redeem: (summarized from Vine’s Expository Dictionary) to purchase a slave in order to set free; to deliver, to set at liberty.
When God Redeems, He starts with the broken outcast. Not the natural beauties who need a little improvement, but the poor in spirit, the lost, the slave to the law, the sinner.
When God Redeems, only one currency is acceptable, and (what a strange thing!) He fulfills our obligation to Himself.
When God Redeems, He makes family relationships, described in intimate close relationships like bride and children.
When God Redeems, He calls the former outcast sinner, now his closely beloved, to beautify the broken, to carry on the common redemptive work in a broken world that needs the special Redeemer.
Those who have been Redeemed fulfill this calling by loving the beastly, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked (laundry, anyone?), visiting the needy, cleaning toilets, creating something out of nothing, finding themes of Truth in literature…this is redemptive work. [See some beautiful ideas for doing just this with your teens at the end of our Beauty and the Beast movie discussion!]
Such ordinary tasks, performed by Redeemed slaves who become servants, sons, and daughters, are ennobled when offered to the glory of the One Who Redeemed them.
Soli Deo Gloria.
Stay Up to Date!
Get the information you need to make wise choices about books for your children and teens.
Our weekly newsletter includes our latest reviews, related links from around the web, a featured book list, book trivia, and more. We never sell your information. You may unsubscribe at any time.
Support our writers and help keep Redeemed Reader ad-free by joining the Redeemed Reader Fellowship.
Stay Up to Date!
Get the information you need to make wise choices about books for your children and teens.
Our weekly newsletter includes our latest reviews, related links from around the web, a featured book list, book trivia, and more. We never sell your information. You may unsubscribe at any time.
We'd love to hear from you!
Our comments are now limited to our members (both Silver and Golden Key). Members, you just need to log in with your normal log-in credentials!
Not a member yet? You can join the Silver Key ($2.99/month) for a free 2-week trial. Cancel at any time. Find out more about membership here.
4 Comments
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Amen!
I am struck by how often redemption is explored in fairy tales. It seems to imply that, at its core, our world is searching for freedom. So, the collectors of tales and even some modern writers weave themes of sacrifice and freedom into their works. I have even found that some secular authors do this. The best fairy tales embody some form of redemption at their center. Even so, they are mere pale reflections of the greatest Redeemer of all.
One of my favorite fairy tales that shows a clear picture of redemption is Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Wild Swans”. I also love Jim Ware’s Finding God in Fairy Tales, which is a book that explores Christian themes in many popular classical stories.
Thank you for such a lovely devotional.
Thank you Meredith, this is so encouraging! Fairy tales are wonderful examples of common grace. I have not thought so much about redemption in The Wild Swans–I’d love to hear your elaboration on that. 🙂 I’ll have to look for Jim Ware’s book too.
Just saw this comment. In “The Wild Swans,” the sister must free her brothers from a curse by weaving coats for them. She is given the task of gathering stinging nettles, which she must trod upon with bare feet in order to shape them into workable material. The nettles make her bleed and cause her great pain. Furthermore, she is not allowed to talk while she makes the coats. I don’t remember how long it takes her to weave them, (think it’s several years). Anyway, she is ridiculed by the townspeople and accused of being a witch. She is even going to be executed.
So, Andersen’s depiction of sacrifice is very poignant. The sister must pay a terrible price in order to save her brothers. Of course, the picture isn’t perfect, but it seems very vivid. The story itself explains it best.
God bless you.
You know, I’ve always loved fairy tales and have read that one before, but never thought so deeply into it. I need to introduce it to my boys. Have you read Lewis’s essay titled “Sometimes fairy stories say best what needs to be said”? So true! I need to read that one again. It may be in his book On Three Ways of Writing for Children.