“If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.” (1 Corinthians 15:19, NASB95)
Some are surprised that I like Billy Joel’s classic ballad, Piano Man. Yes, I like the song, but not for the reasons most do. Let’s think about this for a moment.
The content of the song and the resolution of the tension are all completely hopeless.
You’re probably thinking, “Okay, Bill has lost it. Why would he like a song because it’s so hopeless?”
The reason is simple. Piano Man is an incredible commentary on the hopelessness of life without Christ. It starkly contrasts the outcome of the world with the outcome God has set before all of us.
In short, Piano Man is some of the greatest free advertising the gospel of Jesus Christ has ever received. Think about it for a moment:
There’s a regular crowd on a Saturday night meaning they are always there.
There’s an old man whose best friend is alcohol.
There’s a bartender with identity issues.
Paul has nothing better to do than talk with Davy.
The waitress talks politics.
The business man does drugs.
And the reason they all come out on a Saturday night is to be cheered up by the music that pulsates from the Piano Man.
Now isn’t that an effective commentary on futility! Let’s think about this further:
The crowd has nothing better to do on a Saturday night than be with others in a similar situation together.
The old man is probably an alcoholic.
The bartender hates his job and is completely discontented with life.
Paul is lonely because he has no family, no one close to him, no one to love, like a wife or kids.
Davey will soon be deployed to Vietnaam and most likely lose his life in the process.
The waitress will probably get caught up in the political fury of that time.
Drugs will wittle away life from the businessman.
But it’s all okay, because, as the talented Billy Joel tells us, through the voice of the crowd:
“Sing us a song, you’re the piano man Sing us a song tonight Well, we’re all in the mood for a melody And you’ve got us feelin’ alright.”
Well, would you look at that. Everything is okay because the Piano Man sings and makes everyone feel good. In the moment, everything is hunky dory.
But there’s one person there who gets it. He isn’t taken in by the whiles of the Piano Man. He’s only in it for what he can get.
The manager recognizes the talent the Piano Man has. He recognizes the effect the Piano Man has on the crowd. He recognizes how the Piano Man wipes all that misery away for an evening which makes him a lot of money.
The Piano Man is his way of making all his lifelong dreams come true while the Piano Man, in turn, makes the crowd’s dreams come true for an evening.
Okay. So this isn’t an exposition on the song Piano Man. It is, however, the perfect picture of what those who stare a Christless eternity in the face have to look forward to.
As Paul put it:
“If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.” (1 Corinthians 15:19, NASB95)
Or for those who don’t know Christ, if you put your trust in alcohol, your own aspirations, drugs, politics, money or anything else just so that you can feel good now, you won’t feel so good later.
So What?
You see, this life is meaningless without something bigger than what the Piano Man offers. It’s the God-Man who truly makes life worth living.
It isn’t about finding happiness for a few hours on Saturday night at a bar. You may feel good at the time. The next morning you’ll have a hangover, not just from the alcohol and late night, but because of life in general.
The fact that Christ died for our sins proved the power of His death by rising from the dead, show us we have something more wonderful to look forward to than listening to some dude caressing a keyboard with titillating tunes.
The salvation of His death and the hope His resurrection gives us make Christ the only chance at a happy life. This life will soon be over. When we hit that eternal road, we’ll see that following Christ and putting our hope in Him was well worth it.
We can know this is true because God loved us so much He sent His Son to this earth to give us forgiveness, righteousness and salvation.
Jesus is the God-Man. He gives us hope.
“Thank you for dying, you are the God-Man, Thank you for dying for me. You rose from the dead and you crushed Satan’s head, And now I am happy and free!”
The Piano Man simply gives enjoyment for a few hours. Let Christ thrill you for an eternity.
Journeys of a Former Firebrand 
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