By Kathryn Wright
INTRODUCTION
In a video, historian Alexander Bevilacqua answers questions about the Renaissance period (YouTube, “Historian Answers Renaissance Questions,” 1968). In the video, Bevilacqua discusses the noted Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci. A true Renaissance man, da Vinci was blessed with many skills, but he is best known for his paintings, such as The Last Supper and The Mona Lisa. Today, da Vinci is considered among the greatest artists of all time.
In addition to many other talents, Leonardo was an inventor. During the video, Bevilacqua discusses a letter, like a resume, that Leonardo wrote to one of the leaders of Milan, Italy, in hopes of securing a job that would involve creating war machinery. In the letter, he listed ten skills in which he was proficient. Nine of the ten skills were clearly applicable to inventing war machines. However, for the tenth item on his list, Leonardo casually added that he could paint.
Historians have noted that of all his skills, da Vinci often considered painting of lesser importance. Yet his art is known worldwide and has brought joy and beauty to subsequent generations. It is estimated that his masterpiece, the Mona Lisa, measuring only thirty by twenty-one inches, is viewed by ten million visitors a year. Despite da Vinci’s valuation of his own skills, it was not his war machines but his paintings that became his legacy. Like most of us, Leonardo da Vinci suffered from an all-too-common human failing. To put it simply, he failed to value his most important work.
MAKING A LIST OF OUR OWN
One of the key teachings that GES strives to highlight is the doctrine of rewards. This doctrine teaches that every church-age believer will stand before the Lord at the Judgment Seat of Christ and give an account of what he has done (2 Cor 5:10; Rom 14:10; Luke 19:11-27). This judgment is for believers only and has nothing to do with their eternal standing since they already possess eternal life by faith alone. While this judgment doesn’t determine believers’ salvation from the lake of fire, it will determine what kind of work they produced and whether their work has lasting value. Good works that believers have done for the Lord will be rewarded. These rewards will be eternal.
As believers contemplate this coming judgment and the works they have done, perhaps some make mental lists. How might it look if, like Leonardo, believers were to list all their accomplishments? What would they consider to be most important at the Judgment Seat of Christ?
Perhaps a believer would list donating money to church, participating in missions’ trips, attending church faithfully, teaching Sunday school, and evangelizing friends and loved ones.
Changing diapers, washing dishes, maintaining the yard, providing for your family, making meals for the sick, and spending time in prayer might be deemed less important and added almost as an afterthought. Like Leonardo’s ability to paint, they would be tacked on at the end as filler. The person making the list would think such things are OK, but probably unimportant to the Lord.
KING SOLOMON’S LIST
In the book of Ecclesiastes, King Solomon makes a list of his many deeds. As the old king considers his life’s work, he discusses his many accomplishments. He ruled the nation of Israel and ushered in a golden age. He commissioned and oversaw many incredible architectural structures, the most important being the temple of God. His many agricultural achievements included vineyards, orchards, and gardens (Eccl 2:4-5). He was the wisest man who ever lived, making just judgments during his reign and impressing world leaders such as the Queen of Sheba with his vast knowledge. He even wrote inspired books that became part of the Bible.
As Solomon looked at his accomplishments, he gave an evaluation:
So, I became great and excelled more than all who were before me in Jerusalem (Eccl 2:9).
His list of accomplishments is impressive. And yet, Solomon famously states in the book that all his toil was vanity (Eccl 1:14; 2:11). As we consider some of Solomon’s outstanding achievements, we see that his evaluation of his list was accurate. For example, the Babylonians would destroy the glorious temple he built, along with his vineyards. The nation he had previously ruled so gloriously would be subjected to captivity.
At first glance, this is a rather depressing look at Solomon’s life and accomplishments. But he does not end his book with a defeatist attitude. Instead, in his conclusion, the wise king states:
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil (Eccl 12:13-14).
Reminiscent of the apostle Paul’s words in 2 Cor 5:10, the wise king acknowledged that our works matter and will be judged to determine whether they were “good or evil.” Solomon spoke as an OT believer and understood that his works did not determine his eternal destiny. He also understood that, like all believers, he would give an account of his works to determine his rewards in the kingdom of God.
Solomon wanted to help others avoid making the same mistake he made––the mistake like da Vinci’s. Solomon learned that the deeds with eternal value are often not outwardly impressive works such as constructing grand buildings or making war machines, but those done in humble fear of the Lord and simple obedience. As the Lord said, a simple cup of water given in His name will not lose its reward (Matt 10:42).
CONCLUSION
Undoubtedly, there will be many surprises at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Therefore, as we think upon that day and consider our works, may we not be fooled by the world’s definition of greatness. Often, our most significant works will not be found in the grand halls of libraries or cathedrals. Instead, the saints’ true masterpieces will be found only in humble acts of service done by those who walk with the Master Himself.
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Kathryn Wright and her husband, Dewey, live in Columbia, SC. She is the GES missions coordinator, women’s conference speaker, writer, and Zoom teacher.
