Have you ever watched ‘The Mask’? Its pretty funny movie. Crazy how Jim Carey puts this mask on and becomes a completly differant person. He began to love who he was when behind the mask more so than who he was without the mask. Pretty soon we see he couldn’t be without it. Reality hits when he looses the mask…
Remember the story of Zacchaeus? The crazy rich tax collector who desperatly wants to see Jesus. In those days tax collectors weren’t always thought highly of. Most people didn’t like them because they were mostly rich and thought to have only wanted the money. Its evident that people didn’t think Zacchaeus deserved to eat with Jesus…”What business does he have getting cozy with this crook?” I mean its clear they saw only his mask…Now i don’t much about Zacchaeus but Jesus saw something in him out of all the people in the crowd. Jesus saw through his mask. I wonder if the people standing around him knew he was the Son of Abraham? I think my point being here is that just like Zacchaeus, we tend to have a mask we stand behind, only letting some people see past it…until we encounter Jesus.
What ive realized the past few days is that im broken. My stubborness has found something it can’t stand against; Jesus. Just to be honest im not real good at expressing my emotions or even allowing them to flow out. Not that i don’t feel or that im not affected by the world and people but in my head those are all signs of weakness. I pride myself in being strong and knowing i can handle things. And yea, i am strong and i can handle things on my plate. This week what ive found is what i think is my greatest strength is actually my greatest weakness…I cried a lot this week. Through my tears i realized even in that moment when i feel the weakest, the ugliest, even unloved; there is Jesus holding me up and reminding how much i am loved. Jesus sees through my mask(s). And i can’t be so prideful and think that none of you see through my mask(s)…i know you do. Thanks for being patient with me. I realize and believe with all my heart that i am better and more useful to Jesus and to the body(you guys) when im broken and vulnerable. Our weaknesses make us stronger because now God has room to move. You know its scary to let people behind the mask. They have responsiblity. They have something on us. They have ways to hurt us and hurt us real deep. One of the most freeing things i realized though is that in all that they have room to love us and love us real deep. I think its important in seeing perspective in this. Yea, its crazy to open yourself up…its dangerous. But we should be willing to take that risk if it also brings real deep love. How can you go out and love real deep if you don’t allow yourself to BE loved real deep. I mean this in your relationship with Jesus and with friends/family. Oh but my friends that is FREEDOM! Fight for freedom in your daily walk with Jesus.
Ill end with some words from the introduction of Philemon. Eugene Peterson writes in the Message: “Every movement we make in response to God has a ripple effect, touching family, neighbors, friends, community. Belief in God alters our language. Love of God affects daily relationships. Hope in God enters into our work. Also their opposites–unbelief, indifference, and despair. None of these movements and responses, beliefs and prayers, gestures and searches, can be confined to the soul. They spill out and make history. If they dont, they are under suspicion of being fantasies at best, hypocrisies at worst. Philemon and Onesimus, the slave owner and slave who figure prominently in this letter from Paul, had no idea that believing in Jesus would involve them in radicl social change. But as the two of them were brought together by this letter, it did. And it still does.”
In a nutshell…don’t hold back because though we think we are hiding, we aren’t. And just like Philemon and Onesimus, we have radical change to take care of and be apart of. It begins in our hearts…take the mask(s) off and let the walls down.
