The Applause of Heaven

The Applause of Heaven easily becomes a step by step description of how to rebuild the believer’s heart. God is relentlessly in pursuit of his children and He desires to welcome them home with applause. Through the Beatitudes, Lucado hopes to convey this message to rekindle the love inside God’s children.
Within the first couple of chapters, Lucado immediately introduces the bi-product of Christ’s reconstruction of the believer’s heart. He begins his series of insights by introducing the idea of the Sacred Delight. This Sacred Delight is a holy joy that comes from God and is the gift received when a person surrenders everything they have come to know and cherish. Lucado recognizes this shift and says it starts with, “a demolition of the old structure and a creation of the anew,” and explicitly interjects that, “the more radical the change, the greater the joy. And it’s worth every effort, for this is the joy of God,” (Lucado, p12). Lucado breaks down what the idea of the Sacred Delight means. He says, “Sacred Delight is good news coming through the back door of [one’s own] heart. It’s what [one had] always dreamed but never expected. It’s the too-good-to-be-true coming true,” (Lucado, p10). Lucado is an excellent narrator and uses his words to truly convey an idea in a multitude of ways. He even goes further than just simple illustrations to explain what makes this Sacred Delight so joyful. “It is sacred because only God can grant it. It is a delight because it thrills. Since it is sacred, it can’t be stolen. And since it is delightful, it can’t be predicted,” (Lucado, p11). This is the main idea that Lucado is trying to convey to his readers. This overwhelming joy surpasses all human understanding but it is still obtainable if one chooses to accept it. Naturally, one would ask how to obtain this Sacred Delight and although Lucado says it only one decision away, it takes preparation for one to make that decision. Thus, the rest of his insights into obtaining this Sacred Delight are played out in a series of stories. Lucado goes through the Sermon on the Mount to describe the promise that Christ made to give this Sacred Delight. Jesus promises this Sacred Delight nine times throughout his sermon. Christ goes up to a mountain top and begins to proclaim to his followers, “blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” (Mt. 5:3). In the beginning of this narration, Lucado speaks of yuppiedom and the power of yuppiedom is to keep God’s children from admitting their need of a Savior. But that is exactly the indication that Lucado speaks of; the indication that people are weak in spirit. Once a person is able to recognize that they are weak in spirit then they may begin the road to accepting Sacred Delight and start to rebuild their heart. “It’s a different path, a path [people are] not accustomed to taking. [They] don’t often declare [their] impotence. Admission of failure is not usually admission into joy,” (Lucado, p33). Lucado then goes on to describe what would happen if people were to live their lives that way. If you “show a man his failures without Jesus … the result will be found in the roadside gutter. Give a man religion without reminding him of his filth, and the result will be arrogance in a three-piece suit. But get the two in the same heart – get sin to meet Savior and Savior to meet sin – and the result just might be another Pharisee turned preacher who sets the world on fire,” (Lucado, p46). This is important to be reminded of. The first step to the Sacred Delight that is promised to those who are weak in spirit is admitting their need for a Savior and to allow that Savior to do what He does best and it is to save. Lucado then goes on to describe the repentance of pride. He describes the need to destroy the need of self-sufficiency and to make Jesus Christ the all inclusive answer to the cries for a Savior. Lucado describes it best stating, “as long as Jesus is one of many options, he is no option. As long as [one] can carry [their] burdens alone, [they] don’t need a burden bearer. As long as [a] situation brings [one] no grief, [they] will receive no comfort,” (Lucado, p58). It takes these things; making Jesus the only option, recognizing the weight of burdens, mourning for the grief that is part of life, to allow one to fully submit to God. In the fifth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, it is written, “Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted,” (Mt. 5:4). There is great joy, a Sacred Delight, knowing there is a Father out there who is willing to comfort those who are mourning. There is a God in Heaven who desires to take hold of those He created, who are crying out for a Savior, and cloak them in his love.
The third Beatitude in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus goes on to proclaim, “Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth,” (Mt. 5:5). Lucado uses this Beatitude to describe the life of a person who has gone through the aforementioned steps to accepting the promise of Sacred Delight. The first two Beatitudes Lucado uses describe the process one must go through to meet the Savior while this third one he uses, places that same person in the hands of God. He uses the Scripture as a means to describe what will happen whenever one surrenders complete control to God. “[One] can see the world standing tall, but to witness the Savior, [one will] have to get on [their] knees,” (Lucado, p.75). This becomes a powerful depiction of what it takes to be put in the hands of God. One must become meek, become teachable, in order to inherit the earth. Lucado goes on to warn those who may be on this path of cardio-reconstruction. He says that as soon as a person goes to humble themselves and be put right with God, there will be bandits of joy. Fear will start to creep in and cause those who believe, to doubt that belief. But those promises “are not only a source of joy. They are also the foundations of true courage…That means that failure is not a concern for [one who is in Christ]. [One’s] victory is secure. How could [one] not be courageous,” (Lucado, p88)? Powerful words, but true in light of the Beatitudes. Although there will be thieves trying to steal the Sacred Delight that is to come and try to cause doubt, there is still courage to be found. As one begins to live a life of meekness, one cannot help but to feel a sense of gratitude towards God. As one continues to walk alongside Christ, they are consumed with the feeling of appreciation for God’s presence and they begin to yearn for more of Him. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled,” (Mt. 5:6). Lucado uses this Scripture to describe a person’s yearning to receive more of God. As one rebuilds his heart for God, they will reach a stage where all they ever want is it to be with God more. Lucado chose to focus more on why people choose not to live this way. “[People] usually get what [they] hunger and thirst for. The problem is the treasures of earth do not satisfy. The promise is, the treasures of heaven do,” (Lucado, p105). Although Lucado does speak truth in the promise of heavenly treasures being the only thing that satisfy a person’s desire for long-term benefit, there is more to be said about those who do live a life that is Heaven oriented. “God, [for the good of man], tries to loosen [the] grip from something that will cause [them] to fall. But [they] don’t let go,” (Lucado p106). Lucado finishes this section almost warning those who are living their life still separated from God. They live a life that is sufferable and the causes of the suffering are the things they hold on to the tightest. But one thing Lucado does not leave out however, is there is a Savior who is there to fill that desire of righteousness. After all, what loving God would not answer the call of his children to be edified by Him and desire for His righteousness to consume them more?
Whenever God answers that call, which He will answer, a person who is going through that transformation of remaking their heart will begin to look more and more like Him. The end of the Beatitudes in the Gospel of Matthew is written in a way reflecting Christ’s ministry. “Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven,” (Mt 5:7-10). All four of these are indicative of the ministry that Christ led on earth. When describing mercy, Lucado leaves his chapter with a challenge that would challenge even the most seasoned theologian. “Seeing the father’s image in the face of the enemy. Try that. The next time you see or think of the one who broke your heart, look twice. As you look at his face, look also for his face – the face of the One who forgave you,” (Lucado, p119). It is a challenging challenge indeed but whenever one practices the virtue of mercy, mercy becomes second nature to that person. This may be what Lucado is trying to convey. In order to understand mercy, one must practice mercy. After one starts to become virtuous, their outlook begins to change and they start to love others more. They become the pure in heart and the peacemakers. “But those who have seen him can’t seem to forget him. They find him, often in spite of the temple rather than because of it. They brush the dust away and stand ever impressed before his tomb – his empty tomb,” (Lucado, p137). That is what happens when a Christian’s heart begins to align with the heart of God. They start to see Him more and eventually become the peacemakers themselves. When the Christian believers begin to assume Christ’s ministry, persecution is surely to follow. It is inevitable according to Scripture. However, Lucado steers clear of this argument. After all, the book is not to be a theological treatise but a series of insights into the workings of God. Lucado instead starts to head into the direction of giving people who doubt the reasoning of persecution a reason for God’s silence. Many Christians start to question why God is silent when so many are being persecuted in His name. Although Lucado’s choice of words may lead to some debate, the point he is trying to make is God moves in his own time and sometimes that requires no movement at all. “In a world of injustice, God once and for all tipped the scales in the favor of hope. And he did it by sitting on his hands so that [one] could know the kingdom of God,” (Lucado, p182). Although the thought of God sitting on his hands may not sit well with many, the choice of diction should not hinder the message being conveyed. Lucado is trying to tell his audience that to live a life that emulates Christ; one will have to endure injustice. Regardless of how one feels about the articulation Lucado uses, one must agree that his choice to close the book with hope is rather inspiring. Just like the Beatitudes end in hope, Lucado parallels his argument to Scripture by also closing his book in hope. Whenever one completes the journey of repositioning their heart, there is a cheer coming from Heaven. “[One] will see faces that are waiting for [them]. [One] will hear [their] name spoken by those who love [them]. And maybe, just maybe – in the back, behind the crowds – the One who would rather die than live without [them] will remove his pierced hand from his heavenly robe and … applaud,” (Lucado, p194). This is the precipice that Lucado is reaching. There is a God in Heaven who is reaching out to His creation and offering them insurmountable joy. When they finally obtain it, God can then sit back and applaud. God’s love for his children is the message of the bible, and that is the message of The Applause of Heaven. Through the Beatitudes, Lucado is trying to recreate that image of God as the Father loving his children. Through his paraphrasing of Scripture, he is able to refresh old ideas and give vivid images of what the Bible is already trying to convey; the idea of God sitting in Heaven applauding for those who are after his own heart. God, who is holding that special gift in his hands, the gift of Sacred Delight, is waiting for those he cherishes to open that gift.