Would You Recognize Him?
Some folks say that at certain times in their lives they couldn't recognize the person in the mirror, both in a literal sense and in a spiritual sense. There have been times I didn't recognize myself in the mirror in those ways. I have also recognized people from my past and they didn't recognize me, and sometimes they have recognized me and I couldn't remember their face or from where I knew them.
In the depiction of the short period [ 40 days ] of Yeshua's time on earth after having risen from the dead, why couldn't His disciples recognize Him at certain times?
As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Yeshua Himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing Him.
- Luke 24:15-16
At this, she turned around and saw Yeshua standing there, but she did not realize that it was Yeshua. He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking He was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have put Him, and I will get Him.” Yeshua said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward Him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” ( which means “Teacher” ).
- John 20:14-16
Early in the morning, Yeshua stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Yeshua.
- John 21:4
Yeshua said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask Him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord.
- John 21:12
Although they didn't recognize Him, they 'knew' it was the Lord or they were eventually able to recognize Him. In the passage saying Yeshua walked with some disciples on the road, they eventually recognized Him when He broke bread in the typical fashion they had seen Him do before. We can also see Mary recognize Him after He says her name. It seems that His appearance was not as it was prior to death or during the three years of His ministry.
What can we learn from this? What is God trying to tell us?
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
- Matthew 25:-46
This parable speaks to the heart of the matter and is quite sobering. Are we not to treat and love others as if they were Christ Himself? It does say 'do to others as you would have them do unto you.'
What else does it say?
Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.
- Hebrews 13:1-3
That is something quite spectacular, the part about entertaining angels without knowing it. When we are out and about, we cannot tell who is an angel, nor can we tell who is a brother or sister. Yet, the lesson is to love and treat others as you would have them treat you... and why is this?
My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in Me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as You are in Me and I am in You. May they also be in Us so that the world may believe that You have sent Me. I have given them the glory that You gave Me, that they may be one as We are One - I in them and You in Me - so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me.
- John 17:20-23
May Christ be revealed in each and every one of us... and may we treat every single person, whether good, bad or indifferent, with the same level of love, respect, dignity and service as if they were Yeshua Himself!
In the depiction of the short period [ 40 days ] of Yeshua's time on earth after having risen from the dead, why couldn't His disciples recognize Him at certain times?
As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Yeshua Himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing Him.
- Luke 24:15-16
At this, she turned around and saw Yeshua standing there, but she did not realize that it was Yeshua. He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking He was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have put Him, and I will get Him.” Yeshua said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward Him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” ( which means “Teacher” ).
- John 20:14-16
Early in the morning, Yeshua stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Yeshua.
- John 21:4
Yeshua said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask Him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord.
- John 21:12
Although they didn't recognize Him, they 'knew' it was the Lord or they were eventually able to recognize Him. In the passage saying Yeshua walked with some disciples on the road, they eventually recognized Him when He broke bread in the typical fashion they had seen Him do before. We can also see Mary recognize Him after He says her name. It seems that His appearance was not as it was prior to death or during the three years of His ministry.
What can we learn from this? What is God trying to tell us?
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
- Matthew 25:-46
This parable speaks to the heart of the matter and is quite sobering. Are we not to treat and love others as if they were Christ Himself? It does say 'do to others as you would have them do unto you.'
What else does it say?
Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.
- Hebrews 13:1-3
That is something quite spectacular, the part about entertaining angels without knowing it. When we are out and about, we cannot tell who is an angel, nor can we tell who is a brother or sister. Yet, the lesson is to love and treat others as you would have them treat you... and why is this?
My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in Me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as You are in Me and I am in You. May they also be in Us so that the world may believe that You have sent Me. I have given them the glory that You gave Me, that they may be one as We are One - I in them and You in Me - so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me.
- John 17:20-23
May Christ be revealed in each and every one of us... and may we treat every single person, whether good, bad or indifferent, with the same level of love, respect, dignity and service as if they were Yeshua Himself!
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