Reflections – The Saturday Morning Post By Pastor Ted Stahl

Good morning! Do you know why your eyes are still filled with sleep when you struggle to get out of bed in the morning, and then stumble into the bathroom? If you could focus and see yourself in the bathroom mirror, you would probably scream and give up the ghost for fright. Then you take a shower, steaming up the mirror, looking at yourself through a fog. So you get dressed, brush your teeth, and put on your Right-Guard (don’t forget the left side – remember, you haven’t had your coffee yet!). By this time, the fog on the mirror, and the sleep in your eyes has cleared. You can see your face. Not too bad. Then you go on your merry way. James said, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.” (James 1:22-24) Sometimes we need to be reminded what manner of men we were. When we see a brother or sister fall, does pride lift us up to the point of kicking the fallen when they’re down? Or do we extend a hand to the fallen to help them back to their feet? I think about the woman caught in adultery. The Pharisees threw her down at the foot of Jesus. They boldly, and un-compassionately told Jesus that the Law and Moses said she should be stoned. Then they asked for His opinion. Jesus agreed, but added a stipulation to their bloodthirsty plan: “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.”

One by one, they dropped their stones and left. Jesus turned to the woman and asked, “…Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” (John 8:10-11)

Seeing the eyes of the condemning mob, and then looking into the forgiving eyes of the Saviour must have been unforgettable. What do you see when you look into the mirror? Do you see the face of Jesus, or the face of a Pharisee? As the days draw closer to his demise, the devil is working harder to cause people to stumble and fall. The devil uses others too. He makes sure there is someone near to do the kicking. Remember Jesus’ story of the Pharisee, and the publican? Luke 18: 10-14 says: “Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”

The Bible is the greatest mirror that you can look in . The Bible will show you exactly how you look. There is one passage in the Bible that would make me cringe as I read it. It lists seven abominations which the Lord hates: a proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren. These are listed in Proverbs 6, verses 17 through 19. You see, I’m guilty of all these abominations. When I got saved, I did not cringe at the reading of these anymore. I look at them now as a reminder of mire that the Lord lifted me up from. “Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.”, Jesus says. Shouldn’t we show the same compassion towards others?

If we are truthful with ourselves, we know that we are no better than the guy standing next to us. As God put on flesh, let us put on Jesus, and show His compassion to others.

Peace! (Ephesians 4:21-32).