The Amaranth flower is a vibrant and colorful plant. Its flower attracts viewers with its vivid shades of magenta and gold. Not only is this plant beautiful, it is also highly nutritious. For many years, this plant was grown and eaten for its grain, which has a high protein content and is gluten free. Despite its color and nutritional value, this is not what makes this plant most popular. The most fascinating part about this plant is its longevity. Unlike most plants, parts of the flower of the Amaranth do not readily wither. Florists love to use this plant in bouquets because the flower seems to last “forever.” This longevity trait is what earns this flower its name. “Amaranth” is a name stemming from the Greek word Amarantos which means “unfading or perennial.” With that in mind, read 1 Peter 1:3,4.
Did you catch it? As Peter describes a Christian’s inheritance, he uses three adjectives to do so. The first is “imperishable” (or incorruptible), the second is “undefiled”, and the third is the Greek word amarantos, translated as “will not fade away.” The word used to describe the longevity of a flower is now, more importantly, used to describe the eternal gift waiting for the child of God. Note that this gift is “reserved in heaven…” (1 Peter 1:4).
Peter highlights the eternal in direct contrast to trials ahead which are temporary (1 Peter 1:6). These trials Paul says are “light affliction” in light of the weight of eternal glory. According to Paul, the glory of the eternal is too great to compare to the temporary (2 Corinthians 4:16-18). So, the next time you want a descriptor of Heaven, think about the Amaranth flower. While its beautiful color and longevity cannot compare to eternal glory, it reminds us in light of trials that God’s eternal home for us “will never fade away.”
-Bryce Mayfield