Face Value
By Elin Henderson
“…while
we don’t not look at the things that are seen, but at the things which are not
seen. For the things which are seen are temporary but the things which are not
seen are eternal.”
2
Corinthians 4:18 (NKJV)
We are so quick to judge things at
face value. What you see is what you get…or so we think. But, we all know that this isn’t the truth. If you don’t believe this, then watch
“Antique Roadshow” and you’ll soon find out that the little old lady who has
this old vase on her dining room table is actually putting flowers in a Ming
Dynasty 14th century urn!
The disciples in Jesus’ time had to
learn some hard lessons in taking things at face value. He rarely spoke
straightforward to them, instead He used life experiences and parables to teach
principles. We see this clearly in Mark
6:30-44 where Jesus feeds the 5,000, then appears to them in verses 45-52 walking
on the water and calming the seas. Mark tells us that the disciples were
astounded, “For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart
was hardened” (v. 52, NIV). They were taking His first miracle at face value, but
there was more that Jesus was trying to teach them. He had a deeper lesson of
His sufficiency, His power and His ability to take care of them.
This was just one example of many which
Jesus used to teach His disciples to stop taking life happenings at face value
but to look beyond to what HE was doing!
Isn’t that the same challenge for us today? He is calling us to go beyond life’s
circumstances, even the miracles in our lives, and see His under-workings and marvelous
power on our behalf. Not just so we can be amazed at the work, but at the
WORKER behind it and that we might grow in our knowledge and love of Him!
GOING DEEPER:
1. What circumstances have you been in recently
where you might have been looking at the “face value” and missed the lesson?
2. What other stories from Jesus’ ministry to
His disciples can you think of that show this principle?
FURTHER READING:
Oakwood’s
missionaries Elin Henderson (a registered nurse) and her husband Phil serve as
church planters with New Tribes in Mozambique,
Africa.
Elin is mother to thirteen-year-old Callie and eleven-year-old Elias.
They are currently in America
on Home Assignment.
