What Is The Perfect Appearance?
Good Morning Friends,
Maybe we are more concerned about appearing Christian than we are with being a Christian. I wonder how far we will we go to keep a Christian reputation and hide our cultural sin of pride? You see society is in pursuit of perfect bodies hiding away those who might offend the sensibilities of the privileged. Those who are sick or poor or have disabling conditions do not promote the obsession of looking better than we are really. Big business would have us spend money. But really, What Is The Perfect Appearance?
Scripture: One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table. And a woman in the city, who was a sinner, having learned that he was eating in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment. She stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to bathe his feet with her tears and to dry them with her hair. Then she continued kissing his feet and anointing them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him—that she is a sinner.” Jesus spoke up and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” “Teacher,” he replied, “Speak.” “A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he canceled the debts for both of them. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he canceled the greater debt.” And Jesus said to him, “You have judged rightly.” Then turning toward the woman, he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has bathed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.” Then he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” But those who were at the table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
Luke 7:36-50 (NRSV)
But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;
1 Corinthians 1:27 (NRSV)
In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:16 (NRSV)
[Mortals] look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.
1 Samuel 16:7 (NRSV)
For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ;
Galatians 2:19 (NRSV)
Message: Working for years developing programs, supports and services for and with people with disabilities taught me that human beings see and judge others by appearances and really miss an opportunity to extend grace. More often than not people would miss the unique and amazingly valuable creations of God because the human eye too often fails to see the promise and beauty of what is on the inside. It is a gift to be able to see…to be willing to see the whole person.
Part of the problem is that human nature, wounded by sin, is marked by limitations. There are silent objections and prejudices about those who have a life characterized by serious physical limitations. In an age when care for one’s body has become an obsession and a big business, anything imperfect has to be hidden away, since it threatens the happiness and serenity of the privileged few and endangers the dominant model. We forget that each of us, sooner or later, will be called to face – at times painfully – frailty and illness, both in our own lives and those of others. There is this thought that people who are sick or disabled cannot be happy, since they cannot live the lifestyle held up by the culture of pleasure and entertainment. But friends, that is not true. That such persons should best be kept apart so that they do not hold back the pace of a false well-being in others misses the mark. I figure that what God is looking for in us is what I began to discover in the hearts of individuals with disabilities. Originally in Florida they were relegated to a place actually called The Florida Farm Colony for the Feeble Minded. The language changed over the years to recognize that we all should be looking for the heart of each other. Our default is of course to look to the outside. But all that is about perspective, for beauty is in the eye of the beholder. So today I would hope we could learn that beauty is really reflecting the love of Christ. Today as I am thinking about this topic, I am remembering the love of God that allows people to be warmed by it and to be changed by it with no discrimination for appearances. People that we allow to become part of our lives. So today I remember a young malnourished black girl found in a chicken coop and think about her not willing to give up. I think about man who spent most of his life in an institution having never committed a crime. I think about one of the kindest men I ever knew and grieve that too few discovered it because he was always rocking back and forth. Our hearts may quietly yield to cynicism, as if the only solution were simply to put up with these experiences, trusting only in our own strength. Or we may put complete trust in science, thinking that surely somewhere in the world there is a medicine capable of curing the illness. Sadly, however, this is not always the case, and, even if the medicine did exist, it would be accessible to very few people. So friends, next time you feel it doesn’t matter what you do, and people shouldn’t judge based on the things you say and the choices you make – remember, man looks on the outward; it is the way people will judge your character and perhaps the way you might judge others. There is some bias, but it is a reality even God knows exists. The better way to be properly judged though, by both God and man, is to ensure both our hearts and our actions align properly with God’s perfect will. Friends, there is a healing in dignity of love.
Pray we look beyond outward appearances to a person’s heart and character. Pray we realize how important attitude is for relationships from the very first moment we awake. Pray we not rush to judge. Pray we thank God for His grace and mercy and the blessings we receive and can share. Pray we prepare ourselves to dress up our insides… to look with a sensitivity into the hearts of others. Pray we listen to the amazing stories of others. Pray we think before we speak. Pray we take a stand for the truth. Pray we not grow weary of doing good. Pray we realize that the Church has a responsibility to minister to its members. Pray the circle is widened. Pray we look to God trusting that our Lord has our best interests at heart. Pray we lift up to God not just our burdens and cares but also our gratitude when He allows us to see into the heart of another person. Pray our hearts are ready to love. Pray our hearts are pure. Pray we exercise our spiritual muscle for those who have lost the control of their physical muscles. Pray that we learn to love the vulnerable. Pray we exhibit a sign of tenderness that is born out of weakness and shows forth new life in the Holy Spirit resonating in the hearts of those who find meaning in the people the world rejects.
Blessings,
John Lawson
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