By: Obed Pineda
Legend speaks of an ancient mystical bird that once every five hundred years (or one thousand years, depending on which legend you read) would build its nest from spices, herbs, and aromatic boughs in preparation for its end. Once built, the bird would then place itself inside its nest and begin to sing a hauntingly beautiful song; as the nest caught on fire, it and the once regal bird became reduced into nothing more than a pile of ashes. At first glance, it appears to be a cruel and vicious end for an extraordinary creature; but, as the old saying goes, appearances can be deceiving. Folklorist claimed that after the bird was completely consumed by the flames, from its ashes there arose a new Phoenix. There is much speculation as to if this myth originated in ancient Greece, Egypt, or Phoenicia considering that this story can be found in the legends of each of these cultures. Regardless of where the mystical lore of the Phoenix emerged, one thing is true among all the different civilizations that speak this tale; the meaning behind the story. In one way or another, to most cultures the legend of the Phoenix rising from its ashes represents rebirth or a new beginning. Verily, it is easy to make the association of the fable of the Phoenix’s rebirth with the Biblical doctrine of resurrection (cf. 1st Corinthians 15:35-54, 1st Thessalonians 4:13-18). However, the story conveys the significance of a new beginning as well. In other words, one interpretation that can apply to the mythology is that it is a tale about redemption. According to the legend, the Phoenix’s reason for building its nest and engulfing itself in flames was to allow a new Phoenix to emerge from its ashes. It is true that this can be viewed as a sacrifice made for the benefit of another, but it can also represent the transformation a man makes when he is truly penitent of the sins that reduced him to ashes (cf. Ephesians 4:25-32). The inspired Solomon warns about the seductress, “Do not lust after her beauty in your heart, nor let her allure you with her eyelids. For by means of a harlot a man is reduced to a crust of bread; and an adulteress will prey upon his precious life. Can a man take fire to his bosom, and his clothes not be burned” (Proverbs 6:25-27)? There is no denying that the proverb is revealing the threat of committing physical adultery, but the Bible, too, often refers to committing sin as spiritual infidelity (cf. Jeremiah 9:2, Hosea 3:1, Matthew 12:38-39). Additionally, the inspired James draws the parallels of an adulterous relationship resulting in the conception of a child as a means of explaining how temptation works and leads to spiritual death (cf. James 1:13-16). Thus, it is evident that when a man chooses to participate in sin, he will be consumed by it, reduced to shame. Yet, it is vital to point out that because a person was ensnared by lust does not mean that the sinner is eternally lost. Like the Phoenix of our tale, there is a way that all sinners can rise again from the ashes. Surely the diligent student of Holy Writ immediately thinks about baptism since Scripture states, “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever” (1st Peter 1:22-23, cf. Romans 6:1-4). This begs the following question: What happens if the reborn man falls prey to temptation and sins again? The inspired John responds, “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin.And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1st John 2:1). Prior to the Redeemer activating the Gospel of salvation, the prophet Joel exhorted God’s chosen people, “‘Now therefore,’ says the LORD, ‘Turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.’ So rend your heart, and not your garments; return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; and He relents from doing harm” (Joel 2:12-13). Both inspired amanuenses affirm that the path that leads back to life from the death of sin is repentance because “The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit” (Psalm 34:18). Remember also that genuine contrition is a must in order for a man to be born of the Spirt (cf. Acts 2:37-28, 3:19-21). The apostle Paul unveiled to the Corinthians that “godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death” (2nd Corinthians 7:10). Paul revealed this truth to them because his previous stern letter that he had sent them rebuking them of their shameful behavior had pricked their hearts in an upright way, producing a penitent spirit that led them back to the obedience of God’s will (cf. 2nd Corinthians 7:8-11). An extraordinary example of rising from the ashes of wickedness is that of John Mark. The Holy Spirit recounts through Luke’s quill that this man’s poor choice had provoked a sharp contention between Paul and Barnabas that ended up splitting them apart (cf. Acts 15:36-40). We are not told exactly what John Mark did, other than he had “departed from them in Pamphylia, and had not gone with them to the work” (Acts 15:38). From the sacred text, it is apparent that Paul felt that John Mark had abandoned his companions and his duty, thus making him unreliable. Once again, the Bible does not reveal why John Mark left them at Pamphylia, but for Paul it was not a justifiable reason to desert his obligation to God. Barnabas, on the other hand, had observed an important change in John Mark and trusted that he was not the same man who forsook them on their last trip. Barnabas’ keen eyes perceived that a penitent man who rose from the ashes of his past error now stood before them, and thought it wise to grant him an opportunity to prove himself a transformed man (Acts 15:37, 39). Holy Scripture verifies that, indeed, John Mark had changed for the better since years later Paul would charge Timothy, “Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry” (2nd Timothy 4:11b). There is no question that John Mark had risen from the ashes of his past mistake since Paul would never have requested his help had he been the same irresponsible man from before. Amazingly, the Bible is full of examples such as this, all echoing the instructions of the Master, “Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him” (Luke 17:3-4, cf. Matthew 18:21-22).