Raise!Vzorec

Raise your face.

Let us keep looking to Jesus. He is the one who started this journey of faith. And he is the one who completes the journey of faith. He paid no attention to the shame of the cross (Hebrews 12:2 NIRV)

Corrie Ten Boom’s story has brought strength to my faith. During the Second World War she was imprisoned with her family. Released, she lived to share her faith. She said:

If you look at the world, you’ll be distressed.

If you look within, you’ll be depressed.

If you look at God, you’ll be at rest.

People looked at God, in flesh, when they saw Jesus on the cross. Faces raised to Jesus, they sought to further shame him by hurling insults at him. I wonder if Jesus met their gaze.

When we feel ashamed or shamed we avoid the gaze of others. We will not look people in the eye. We may even avoid God. Jesus became ‘sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God’ (2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV). Jesus took our sin and shame and gave us the freedom to raise our face to meet the gaze of our Saviour. To be face to face with our Saviour is a gift given. He will never turn his face away from us.

In a vision, John raises his face towards Jesus and says, ‘His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance’ (Revelation 1:16). To a weary, persecuted church, needing the rest of God, he writes of the radiant Jesus who walks amongst his people; who enables them to shine their light in the darkness; who knows them and loves them; who gloriously rules over all things; who says, ‘I am the beginning and the end’.

Jesus welcomes us to turn to him and raise our face towards his. Where will you choose to fix your attention today?