CINDERELLA SALVATION

by Charles Robey
(Trussville AL)

Cinderella is one of the most well-known stories around the world. The story appears in the folklore of many cultures. In modern times, the tale of Cinderella has inspired countless picture books, musicals, novels, and dreams of little girls. So, let's add a Biblical twist to this old tale.

Do you remember that old fairy tale "Cinderella"? There was a poor peasant girl, Cinderella, who was living a slave like existence with her two ugly stepsisters and wicked stepmother. While the stepsisters and stepmother went to the king's ball, Cinderella was made to stay home and mind the house.

But something magically happened to Cinderella that night. A good fairy godmother transformed her into a dazzling beauty, and sent her off to the king's palace ball in a pumpkin turned coach.

During the evening, as the dashing young prince and Cinderella danced, the prince fell madly in love. However, Cinderella had to rush home by midnight, or her coach would turn into a pumpkin and in her haste, she left behind her glass slipper.

The prince then searched the kingdom, high and low, to find the slipper's owner and eventually he found that the slipper fit Cinderella. Well, then the prince swept Cinderella off her feet and they were married. As the story goes, the two lived happily ever after.

Is there a Cinderella story in the Bible? The answer is yes and no. You won't find a fairy godmother, who transforms Cinderella into a princess but yes, we can draw an inference to the central theme of the Bible, that being God's Plan Of Salvation. Or, in other words, God's continued search to redeem mankind, and bring us into His eternal kingdom.

In Luke 15:1-7, we find Jesus telling the parable of the Lost Sheep. Jesus asks, "What man upon you would not leave ninety-nine sheep, in the open pasture, and go search for the one sheep that was lost?" Like the lost wearer of the Golden Slipper, Jesus emphasizes the lost state of man.

As the Kingdom Prince had faith that he would find eternal peace, by finding his new found love, through the perfect fit of the glass slipper, so also may mankind, by way of faith, have eternal peace through God's redemptive power.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

And just as the mythical slipper fit transformed Cinderella, a poor peasant girl, out of the darkness of slavery, into the light of royalty, God's grace will transform anyone from the darkness of sin into the light of Salvation.

"... that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." (1 Peter 9b)

Cinderella is a great fairy tale. I think why so many of us like the story is that it gives equal hope to all. We all like to imagine we too could become a child of a king, living the life of a prince or princess.

Human nature tends to cause us all to be frustrated, at times, by our daily responsibilities and we long to be treated special. However, as Christians naming the name of Christ, we should never forget we are special, as adopted sons and daughters of the Living God, and we indeed are heirs and joint heirs of Christ, as the Apostle Paul reminds us.

"The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ..."(Romans 8:16-17)

As in the Cinderella fairy tale, the Gospel interpretation of the story should be, "if the shoe fits wear it."

"...to have our feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace."(Ephesians 6:15)

Simply put, The preparation of the gospel of peace signifies a prepared and resolved frame of heart, to adhere to the gospel and abide by it. In doing so, we too can live, as Cinderella, "Happy Ever After".