Mark 8: 17 - 18 NKJV
There is a reason by which Jesus taught by speaking parables or stories. More than likely it was so that His words would be better understood by those He was speaking to. In todays parlance we would equate this as to putting something in laymans terms for someone to understand it. So was Christ putting the gospel in laymans terms? I believe that He was. Yet there were still those who would ask of Jesus, "what is this that you are telling us?" See, these words of Christ were new to those of His day. Even the teachers in the temple had marveled at the words of this young would be Messiah. Indeed, not everyone possessed, as Jesus claimed, the eyes to see and the ears to hear. I dare say that we today also suffer from a lack of vision. Having eyes to see, we fail to do so. Having ears to hear, we fail to comprehend. What is this which we fail to see? Who we truly are. A good friend posed a question this week, who is it that we see when we look in that mirror? Do we see a counterfeirt image, or do we see who it is we truly are? Who we ultimately see goes a long way to how we see ourselves. Do we have the eyes to see who we are? Who is it that we are not seeing? The apostle Paul gave us the answer in Galations 2. See, Paul knew who he was. He had eyes to see. As far as Paul was concerned, he no longer existed. In him Christ now dwelled {Galations 2:20}. Indeed, this is a tough concept to come to terms with. We tend to see things in the black and white of that which is directly in front of us. Having eyes, we do not see. However, it's right there in the pages of scripture just who it is we really are. Far too many of us see only the counterfeit image of themselves. Their eyes are failing to see Christ Jesus who is in them. I was one of those people.
13“Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14“And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: ‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive; 15For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.’ 16“But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; 17“for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it."
Matthew 13: 13 - 17 NKJV
How difficult of a concept is this whole Christ in us idea? Well, difficult enough for Paul to refer to it as the "mystery among the gentiles." {Colossions 1:27} What is this mystery among the gentiles? Christ in us, the hope of glory. For some time I thought that God had stacked the deck agianst me, that I could never perceive this mystery of Christ in me. That my eyes would be forever closed. However, in time what occured in the life of Paul happened for me as well. That is, Christ was revealed to me {Galations 1:15-16}. It was God Himself who provided this revelation, my eyes had been opened. I no longer saw a counterfeit image but who I truly am. Now, that doesn't mean that from time to time I'll forget who I am and see once again that counterfeit Scott image. Yet that does not change who it is that has been revealed to me that I truly am. Paul had his doubts at times, yet he understood that for him to live is Christ Jesus in him {Philippians 1:21}. Paul had eyes to see. So it is that every now and then I will stand in front of that mirror and see someone who isn't really there, someone who has long ago passed away {Romans 6:6}. Instead of that old man, looking back at me now is Christ Himself. Eyes to see.
20“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
Galations 2:20 NKJV
~Scott~
1 comment:
Do you see any imperfection, failure, insecurity, or sin in the mirror?
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