These days, historical documentaries on television are regularly presented by people endowed with both beauty and brains. But it seems that those in Bible times with the greatest story to tell, the good news of Jesus Christ, were not much to look at.
The apostle Paul, perhaps the greatest missionary who has ever lived, is described this way in an early account: "A man small in size, bald-headed, bandy-legged, well-built, with eyebrows meeting, rather long-nosed". Yet the same writer saw that in spite of this his personality made an impact: "… full of grace. For sometimes he seemed like a man, and sometimes he had the countenance of an angel.”
Paul seems to have recognised that he did not have the appearance of a superstar. He writes in his second letter to the Christians at Corinth: "The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us" (2 Corinthians 4:4-7 NIV).
Ours is not the only day and age when people have been blinded by the cult of personality. An intriguing Jewish wisdom story tells a tale about the daughter of a Roman emperor, a woman who would have been steeped in the classical notion that beautiful people were the most wise.
"The daughter of the emperor spoke to Rabbi Joshua, the son of Hananiah: "Oh, your skill in the law is so great, and yet you are so deformed! What a huge helping of wisdom is held in such a plain-looking container!"
The rabbi answered, "Do tell me, what are the vessels you keep your wines in made of?"
She answered, "They are vessels of clay."
He replied, "How is it, seeing you are so rich, that you do not store your wine in silver vessels, to set yourself apart from the common people who store theirs in clay jars?"
She went back to her father and persuaded him to have all the wine put into silver vessels; but the wine turned sour. When the emperor heard about it he asked his daughter who had given her that advice. She told him that it was Rabbi Joshua.
The rabbi told the whole story to the emperor, and added this sentence: "The wisdom and study of the law cannot dwell in a handsome man."
Caesar objected: "There are handsome persons who have made great progress in the study of the law."
The rabbi answered, "Had they not been so handsome they would have made greater progress; for a man with a handsome physique does not have a humble mind, and therefore he soon forgets the whole law."
The truest followers of Christ today will not have been won over by slick packaging of the gospel, though there is plenty of that around. The one who wins them, under God, will more likely be an unassuming man or woman that may well have suffered hardship through being a Christian. That pressure may well show in lines of worry and care in their forehead. But there will be a beauty within that nobody can deny.
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