Before heading off to bed, I’ve been reading Roger Lancelyn Green’s collection of the Arthurian legends. One tale caught my attention: there’s a story of a mysterious figure who rides into King Arthur’s Round Table with three bold requests. The first? To eat at Arthur’s table for one year. The king agrees, but there’s a catch: the man, poised and well-mannered, must endure a series of humiliating ordeals. One of Arthur’s knights, Sir Kay, mocks him, condescendingly dubbing him Beaumains, meaning “fair hands,” and relegates him to work as a kitchen servant. He serves in this capacity for twelve months until a lady arrives in Camelot desperate for help from one of Arthur’s knights. Her sister has recently been kidnapped and held against her will by the Red Knight.
When Beaumains hears her pleas, he steps forward and petitions Arthur for his second and third requests: to undertake the quest to save the lady’s sister and to be knighted by Sir Lancelot at the proper time. King Arthur consents, but the lady is outraged. Why would Arthur send a kitchen hand to rescue her sister instead of a Knight from the Round Table? She feels humiliated and leaves Camelot in a fit.
Undeterred, Beaumains follows her, facing down one evil knight after another. Each victory is met with the lady’s scorn–berating and disparaging his actions each time. Even still, he presses on, fighting all the more vigorously, his mission unaltered. Finally, Sir Lancelot cannot help but recognize his valor and makes him a knight, adding to the lady’s dismay.
In a surprising moment, the lady breaks from her usual disrespect to acknowledge his resolute chivalry, wondering out loud if he is indeed from noble blood. Beaumains responds authentically by stating that her words have made him angry and tempted him to react similarly. However, his love for honor and chivalry was greater than his love for praise or evasion of ridicule from any person.
I won’t spoil the ending, but it’s worth reading to discover Beaumain’s true identity and the rest of his journey. His story resonates with us even today. What drove him to endure the scorn and still offer selfless service? What enabled him to face mockery and fight all the more strongly? A greater love controlled him, allowing him to face undeserved ridicule and humiliation. It was the love of honor. This greater love enabled him to remain humble and virtuous, serving in selfless service, regardless of insult or praise.
For Christians, this story points us to an even more significant and lasting love: the love of Christ. It was Christ who endured the ridicule of men and shame of the cross without a word. It was Christ who faced the rejection of the Father in agonizing obedience. For what purpose? Love (John 3:16).
And therefore, it is Christ alone, motivated by a greater Trinitarian love, who enables us to know a love greater than even honor. Thus, it is the gospel that reveals a Savior who alone can pursue us even in our brokenness, meets us in our shame, and offers us a new identity rooted in Him. In Christ, we are made new–promised eternal fellowship with God, peace in the present, and forgiveness for yesterday. This love frees us from chasing human applause or cowering under the weight of rejection. Like Beaumain facing scorn, we can stand fast, whether praised or disrespected, affirmed or misrepresented, elevated or demoted, because our worth is anchored in the unshakeable love of Christ.
The apostle Paul masterfully states: “Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude” (Colossians 2:6-7). Rooted in Christ, we can weather any storm and face any success confidently.
Are you facing difficulty? Rest in His unchanging love. Are you experiencing success beyond your wildest dreams? Let gratitude, not pride, overflow into your spheres of influence.
The Beaumain’s story reminds us to walk confidently in who we are and in Whose we are. So, walk in Christ–rooted and established in Him–and abounding in gratitude. Amen.
— April 9, 2025