He has sent me...to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor...to comfort all who mourn...to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes.
—Isaiah 61:1b-3
March 15 will mark the anniversary of the live action version of Disney’s Cinderella premiere in theaters. We’re all familiar with the story; it’s a favorite among legions of children and adults. Additionally, as some Bible scholars have found, the story of Cinderella contains many elements that can be tied to Christianity.
The way Cinderella dresses is one of these elements. Throughout most of her story, she is a servant, compelled to dress in ragged clothing. Her work, especially cleaning the fireplace, makes her dirty with ashes and cinders. Many scholars have equated this with Cinderella’s mourning for her dead parents. They also compare it to biblical mourning, in which the grieving would wear sackcloth and ashes in public.
However, Cinderella’s story has a hopeful ending. Her rags are exchanged for a beautiful ball gown, and later, a pristine wedding dress as she marries her prince. Today’s verses indicate that Christians have a similar hope. God knows that because of our sins and trials, we often live covered in figurative ashes. That’s why He sent Jesus to exchange those ashes for beauty—not only physically, but the beauty of grace, mercy and clean, new lives. We are the bride of Christ, and He sees us as spotless and pure. As Christians, we often don’t take advantage of this. We see ourselves as unworthy, but God wants us to revel in the fact that we are royalty in Him.
The next time you pick up Cinderella to read or watch with your children (or even by yourself), remember these verses. Meditate on your beauty in God’s eyes, and rejoice in it.
Commentaires