reflection Archives – Sonshine's Journal

Matt 23 In the movie Snow White, the wicked queen stopped by her mirror each morning asking: Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all? The mirror replied that she was—until one day the mirror said it was not she, but Snow White. This a picture of what Jesus saw as he observed the self-righteous religious leaders.

The mirror of the Pharisees revealed knowledge but lacked understanding. When Jesus looked deeply into their mirror, he saw hypocrisy. Rather than seek to correct the flaws the mirror revealed, they just piled on more phylacteries and longer tassels. Inwardly, their mirror reflected a lack of compassion. These religious leaders, just like us, had blind spots. God has given us His mirror called His Word, which reveals who we truly are. But too often, like the man in James, when God reveals the truth, we walk away and forget what we saw or like the religious leaders, we heap on more and more “makeup” to cover our flaws.

What does your mirror reveal? If it is self-exaltation, God will humble you, and if the mirror reveals humility, He will exalt you. It is your choice.

As parents and teachers we often hear the words “why?” when asked to do something. Paul in this chapter gives us the answer to the question before it is asked. “Why” are we to be above reproach within and without the church is the question that surely will arise when we are told to pray for our leaders. It is because leaders have been given a charge to lead the body of Christ, the church of the living God. Therefore, they are held to a higher standard and their behavior both within and without the church must be “irreproachable,” that is faultless.

But, Beloved, it is not just leaders that must hold to these standards. We too are called to be a people of the cross that are holy both in our homes and in the church. So what does that look like? James tells us that we must be not just hearers of the word but also doers. We must look in the mirror and see what is reflected back. When we look do we walk away and forget or do we see ourselves as a people who walk, talk, and exhibit that we are “true children of the faith” and “our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith?” Beloved, you and I live, move, breathe and exhibit the truth that Jesus Christ was revealed in the flesh; vindicated by the Holy Spirit, seen by angels; and is even now being proclaimed among the nations who come to believe he was the Resurrected Christ! Is this our reflection to a world that is in need of His love and redemption?

Tag: reflection

“Mirror of the Soul”

Reflecting Christ in an Unchristian World