Luke 19-20

Bible Passage:  Luke 19-20

It is natural to look at ourselves for a bit when we happen to catch our own reflections in any mirror – the car mirrors, mirrors in the lifts, mirrors along some walkways, mirrors in the toilets, a handy pocket mirror we carry, mirrors in the shoe shop or boutiques.

Walk into any public toilet and the familiar sight of people preening in front of the mirror greets you.

What do we see when we gaze into the looking glass at ourselves?

Spiritual Mirror

Do you have a Bible with you? Are you holding it in your hands as you read Luke 19-20? You are holding onto your very own mirror! Our Bible records all of man’s inner beauty and virtues and also the uglier and darker sides of man which developed from the beginning when Adam and Eve were created.

“Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who’s the ugliest of them all?”

Reading Luke 19-20 made me spot some blemishes in my reflection. Let us look carefully in the mirror:

Blackhead Number 1

Luke 19:7 – We tend to look at things at face value. We see ourselves judging others based on what we have seen or heard from that one or two occasions. The people complained when Jesus personally asked Zacchaeus to receive Him at his house. They deemed Zacchaeus unworthy of such an honour. They did not look deeper to see his efforts in waiting for Jesus, his determination in trying to get a glimpse of Jesus, in his eagerness, placing himself in a vulnerable position, and his obedience and joy in receiving Jesus.

Blackhead Number 2

Luke 19:14,27 – Some express an outright rejection of our Lord Jesus Christ and his salvation plan for us. We see some non-believers amongst our friends who choose to walk their own ways in life, relying on themselves rather than any religion or god. In our stubbornness, we also see ourselves wilfully going against God’s teachings or rejecting God to our own convenience at times.

Blackhead Number 3

Luke 20:17 – The vinedressers treated their master’s 3 servants shamefully and even killed his son when they came to collect the fruit. They have forgotten the source of the grace which they received- the master of the vineyard leasing the vineyard to them. They were short-sighted, greedy for temporary gains and thought themselves smart.

Blackhead Number 4

Luke 20:20,23,26,46,47 – Jesus Himself called the scribes crafty people. They sent spies who pretended to be righteous so they could catch Jesus should He slip in His words, then have the authorities put Him away. They were pretentious and hypocritical, deceiving others and also themselves. For these, they will be condemned. The Sadducees who believed only a portion of the truth and did not believe in resurrection contrived a ludicrous example of a woman with 7 husbands. They thought themselves wise and challenged the truth with the limited knowledge that they have.

“Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?”

Have we looked in the mirror today? Let us examine our reflections closely. Are we able to spot any more blackheads?

Let us strive to remove all the blackheads and festering pimples till we see a child of God looking back at us.:)