Reflections of Grace: Mirroring Christ in a Broken World

When I was a kid, I'd often stand in front of the mirror, wondering how I'd look when I grew up. Would I reflect my mom's beautiful smile? Or maybe my dad's loving, blue eyes? I've always been fascinated with the idea that kids inherit aspects of their parents. They get their height, their eyes, or even their mannerisms. Not only do we tend to reflect them physically, but we often reflect them emotionally too. Broken parents tend to create broken kids which can turn into broken adults. 

When I looked in the mirror as a child, I wondered if I would be pretty or if I'd always have crooked teeth (thank you braces!). When I look in the mirror as an adult, I wonder if I am reflecting Christ to the world around me. As Christians, we are called to reflect Christ. When people look at us, do they see Him in us? If we are living in and for our sins, then that is what we will reflect and believe in our own hearts about who we are. 

Being in the presence of God changes you. It changes how you view yourself and how the world views you. In the Old Testament, we read about Moses and the 10 Commandments. When Moses is on Mount Sinai talking with God, the Lord passes by Him and Moses catches a tiny glimpse. After that encounter, Exodus 34: 29-30 tells us, " Now it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the Testimony were in Moses’ hand when he came down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him.  So when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him." Moses' face physically reflected the glory of the Lord. While our face likely won't glow like a glowstick in the night, being in fellowship with the Lord changes your heart and it changes how those around you see you. Have you ever met someone who you knew was going through an immense struggle, yet they were still so joyful and at peace? I have! Just this last semester, there was a guy from my church who lost everything in a matter of minutes to a bad house fire. Yet, every time I saw him in the weeks following, he always greeted me with the same joy, same humor, and same respect. 

For example, take Matthew, a disciple of Jesus, who was a tax collector. He was viewed as one of the worst kinds of people during the time. However, Matthew decided to leave that behind and follow Jesus. Day by day, in contrast with his own spirit, he witnessed and absorbed the character of Jesus. He heard Jesus' lessons on selflessness, generosity, and greed. Day by day, his heart began to transform to look more like Christ's. Being in fellowship with someone of power and gentleness, majesty and humility, strength and patience, stirred something new in Matthew's soul. As a result, he was able to reflect Christ to the rest of the world after Jesus returned to heaven.

In contrast, we read about Judas. Also, a disciple of Christ, yet with a very different ending to his story. Judas claimed to be a disciple of Christ, yet he didn't reflect him. It's likely that Judas heard the Savior’s teachings and felt conviction but would not humble his heart or confess his sins. He let the influence of those who persecuted Christ influence him more than the influence of Christ himself. As a result, he yielded to temptation and turned the Savior of the Universe over to His persecutors. Yet, how often do we do the very same thing? We reflect the things of this world, this culture, or this world's idea of truth. We've seen and heard of the influence of Christ and the power of just His name alone, yet we don't buy into it. We buy into what makes us feel good about ourselves and end up reflecting greed, bitterness, and insecurity.

In the case of Matthew and Judas, they were both broken, flawed people, and they both professed to be followers of Christ. They had the same opportunities to study, follow, and live in the way of Jesus. They were both sinners and had the same access to the same grace of God. That said, only one was a hearer and doer of the word. Only one reflected Jesus because he was in daily fellowship with Him and surrendered his fleshly desires and habits. If you are a mirror to the world around you, what are you reflecting? When people come to you in their sin, do they see Jesus? Do they see love? Or do they see someone who will judge them? You see, when you come to the realization that Christ will never deny salvation to anyone, you begin to treat people differently. In addition, when you humbly come to the foot of the cross and allow the Lord to transform you, it affects how people view you. 

All that said, our lives are mirrors, reflecting something deeper than mere physical attributes. Just as Moses' face shone with the glory of the Lord after being in His presence, our hearts are transformed by our fellowship with Christ. Matthew, once a tax collector, and Judas, both disciples of Jesus, illustrate the choice each of us faces: to reflect Christ through daily communion and surrender, or to allow worldly influences to dim our reflection. Like Matthew, we have the opportunity to absorb and reflect the character of Jesus, embodying His love and grace to a broken world. Similarly, like Judas, we risk betraying our calling when we prioritize worldly desires over the transformation offered through Christ Jesus. So, as we contemplate the reflection we cast to those around us, may we strive to mirror the love and acceptance of our Savior, welcoming all into the embrace of His grace.

May your roots run deep, and your faith remain strong! As always, Stay Rooted, my friends! <3