Picture credit goes to my friend Nicole – thank you!
In a museum in Florence, Italy, you can look upon and marvel at Michelangelo’s David, one of the great sculptures in the world. You can walk all around the statue and inspect it from every angle. But a different view, a fuller view, emerges from the entry hall.
The passage to The David is filled with unfinished statues by Michelangelo. Half-formed people emerge from gigantic blocks of marble, unable to fully escape their captivity. Michelangelo carved images from the front backwards, freeing the creatures he pictured in his mind from the blocks of stone. As you walk slowly toward the David, you get the sense of living beings emerging all around you.
Which brings to mind the Lord’s work in our lives. We are not yet finished, like The David, but we exist similar to those statues enduring in a roughhewn state. Thankfully, the Lord does not leave us incomplete, but continues to chip away at those areas in our lives we no longer need. The Master works steadily, creating the final masterpiece he envisions you and me to be.
As you feel the hammer and the chisel at work in your life, always in uncomfortable ways, remember this: He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6).
My favorite piece of artwork I encountered on our recent trip to Italy was a statue by Michelangelo. I found it intriguing as I gazed at it for the first time, one of many fabulous works in this museum. However, as our guide told us the backstory of the sculpture, I leaned in and held my breath.
Michelangelo craved this piece at the end of his life. It’s a Pieta, a depiction of Jesus being taken from the cross, and this was not the only one he created. The most famous resides in Saint Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City (we saw that one also). But this one struck me personally.
The face of Nicodemus, a self-portrait of Michelangelo
Michelangelo, an earnest disciple of Christ, chose to portray Nicodemus taking Jesus down from the cross, along with Mary, Jesus’ mother, and Mary Magdalene. In this work, Michelangelo carved his own face as the face of Nicodemus, a self-portrait, if you will. Adoration for Christ did not always motive Michelangelo. But at the end of his life, he carved for posterity this image of true devotion.
Nicodemus served as a model for Michelangelo. Nicodemus first approached Jesus by night, but he refused to commit to Jesus. Scared and intimidated by the scoffers and doubters, Nicodemus took years to fully embrace Christ, finally doing so in that moment of taking the body of Jesus from the cross. In his own slow, halting journey of faith, Michelangelo found a kindred spirit in Nicodemus.
The thought struck me powerfully. I wrote about Nicodemus in my book, Seers, Sayers, Schemers & Saints. I’ve been fascinated for years with the searching and wrestling we see in the life of Nicodemus. He may be my favorite character in the New Testament, and he is certainly the one I relate to the most. To hear that Michelangelo felt the same stirred my heart. The artist’s religious fervor expanded as he aged. Michelangelo’s love of Christ informed his art and drove him during his last phase of life.
Great art can move one to tears. Such an occurrence rarely happens to me. But as I stood in front the this masterpiece, slowly understanding that the master artist carved his face into the marble to show his devotion to The Master, the tears welled. I cannot wait to meet Michelangelo in heaven, along with Nicodemus, and relive the lives of wrestling and eventual capitulation to full faith in Jesus that we and many others have shared.
The picture above shows one of the most significant buildings in the ancient world. Can you pick it out?
To the left is the Roman Forum, the center of ancient Rome. You see arches erected to celebrate great Roman victories and temples to the ascendant gods of Rome. Here the empire began and in this place the Caesar’s displayed their glory.
To the right is a building with “MAMERTINUM” over the door. This newer building covers an ancient well, which became an ancient prison, which became the last home of the Apostle Paul. It is from this dank, buried cell that Paul wrote, I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
As I emerged from that cell and pondered the last home of Paul (and likely Peter), I couldn’t help but think of the test of time. While Paul sat in that pit, a powerful empire flowed around him, seemingly invincible, poised to last forever. Yet, a few hundred years later, the empire collapsed and cattle grazed among the ruins.
But Paul’s writing persisted. The churches he founded grew and prospered. Tours of Christian people visit Rome daily, from the US, China, Africa – everywhere the faith Paul promoted has spread.
During the glory days of Rome names like Nero and Caesar were on everyone’s lips, while Paul and Peter were little-known fanatics. But today, we name our sons Peter and Paul, while we name our dogs Nero and Caesar. An encouraging reminder in a world as short-sighted and self-absorbed as Rome was all those years ago.
Conviction spread through my psyche like the heat of a habanero spreads from your mouth to your pores. In reading through the Bible this year, I arrived at Romans 12, where Paul lays out his thoughts on living as a Christ-follower to the church members in Rome. Simple to read, complicated to live. I have a long way to go. Here’s what stood out to me, verse-by-verse:
Verse 1: “Present yourself as a sacrifice.” Sacrifices don’t have rights, they are given away to be used by another. More on this later.
Verse 2: “Do not be configured by the age, but be transformed by the renewal of the intellect.” Where is this age configuring me? Twisting me? Turning me?
Verse 3: Think soberly, keep a clear head. Your faith, if it is a Christian faith, requires it.
Verses 4-8: Serve as you are gifted.
Verse 9: Love sincerely, not as a hypocrite.
Verse 10: Preference other people before you.
Verse 11: Slave away for the Lord. As in, work really, really hard with no recognition.
Verse 12: Endure affliction and persevere in prayer. Suffering is part of the journey.
Verse 13: Provide for the needy by being hospitable.
Verse 14: Bless, don’t curse, your persecutor.
Verse 15: Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Pay attention to others and respond accordingly.
Verse 16: Stay humble (if there is one thing God hates, it’s pride).
Verse 17: Do not repay evil for evil.
Verse 18: Be at peace with all. Turn the other cheek (as a famous person once said).
Verse 19: Revenge, a dish best served cold, belongs to the Lord. Apparently, God keeps a record and settles old scores. We may not take an eye for an eye (see verse 17), but the Lord reserves the right to do so.
Verse 20: Pile your enemy with food and drink. Your kindness may lead to their repentance (i.e. “heap burning coals upon their head).
Verse 21: Extinguish evil with good.
What a list. I’m not sure I’m doing so well – how about you? Described here is not a therapeutic faith existing primarily to meet our needs and salve our wounds. Rather, Paul lays out a counter-cultural lifestyle of clear-headed thinking, hard work and service. This includes taking blows from others without retaliating, rejecting wisdom promoted by the world and staying ever humble. Small wonder so few step this direction.
How to even start living this life? Remember verse one. By thoughtfully giving God everything you have and everything you are and everything you will be, in other words, “presenting yourself as a living sacrifice,” you open yourself to the Lord. His hands mold you, while the Holy Spirit empowers you to live as Paul recommends.
I’ve seen sacrifices in other parts of the world, gifts to the gods, including food & drink, money and even live animals. Paul used imagery that was common in his day, but now much harder for us to imagine. The life of the animal serving as a sacrifice is taken, never to return. It is bloody and final. Dead on the ground.
Thankfully we remain a “living sacrifice,” one God uses to serve and care for others. A sacrifice that reminds the world of God’s goodness and presence, one alive and transformed to live out God’s good, acceptable and perfect will. A will that involves suffering, humility, and loving those we don’t like. Did I mention earlier that I have a long way to go?
Join me in reading the Bible cover to cover in 2026. If you spend 30 minutes a day on social media, you can read through the Bible in a year. Download the 5 Day Bible Reading Plan, grab your Bible and join in. You’ll be glad you spent this year with the men and women of Scripture.
Seers, Sayers, Schemers & Saints
Stories to encourage you with the leadership experiences of overlooked men and women of the Bible. Their lives will inform your story, and move you to step out and lead.
GO: Following Jesus to the Ends of the Earth
This book contains reflections on the Lordship of Christ, the Great Commission, and a life of adventure and eternal significance. Read this book and you won't be able to sit still!
