John 12 / Sept 11 - what do you see?

There is a line in this chapter that cuts to the heart of the Christian life. It comes at a point where Jesus is frustrated with some religious leaders who believed He was the Christ but would not verbalize their faith for fear they would loose their position in the Jewish community. Verse 43 tells us that they "loved the praise of men more than the praise of God."

Jesus then "cries out" in an attempt to get these folks to understand, it wasn't just about Him but about His Father. If you believed in Jesus, you believe in God...so it was imperative that you believe in Jesus. And in verse 45 Jesus says "When he looks at me, he sees the one who sent me."

And that is the heart of the issue. When people looked at Jesus they saw His Father because the two were one. When people look at you and I who do they see? Are we close enough to Jesus that they see Him when they look at us? And if they see Him what they are really seeing is the Father. So we become the lens through which others see our God. How clear is the lens of your life?