Removing The Veil

Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold. We are not like Moses, who put a veil over his face so the people of Israel would not see the glory, even though it was destined to fade away. But the people’s minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ.  Yes, even today when they read Moses’ writings, their hearts are covered with that veil, and they do not understand.

But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.  2 Corinthians 3:12-16

What is it you are afraid of?  You might be worried about offending someone or hurting their feelings.  You might lose a relationship or show that you are flawed like everyone else.  But there was one fear of mine that I am going to share with you today.  It’s the one that superseded all other ones.  It was the one that haunted me because no matter what I did or how I tried to avoid it, it always found me in some fashion or another.  My greatest fear was what did everyone think about me.  You see, the only time I truly saw ‘me’ was when I looked in the mirror.  Other than that, I was just a man who fought every single negative stereotype that’s ever been said about people that look like me.  My view was if I ever wanted to get ahead in life, I had to do everything I could to be the very opposite of the worse things people could see when they saw me.  I talked better.  I worked harder.  I took inappropriate jokes easier.  I ignored things because any hint that might seem different would force me into that stereotypical box people had.  And the fact is I did such a great job of it that I lost the real me.

Over the last couple of years, something changed.  God forced me to be different.  He challenged me to be something I had never been comfortable with; me.  It forced me to acknowledge some very tough truths.  One was to love the person I had become.  This was easy because I had a beautiful God-fearing wife who told me as much.  Even when I could not believe who I was, she believed in me.  Next, was to embrace who I am.  I’m not perfect.  I am a sinner.  But I am God’s child, and I am so blessed to have a savior like Christ.  The toughest one of all was simply tell the world who I am.  That is the hard one.  Why?   Because that’s the one that says I’m not like everyone else, and there are things I now say that will ruffle others feathers.  I’m black, and I’m proud.  I am not some militant angry person.  I am Christian, and with all those things together, there are some things that I just simply won’t tolerate anymore.  For example, I will no longer accept someone telling me that I need to respect a leader who under any other circumstance I would not respect at all (easy to figure who that might be).  I will listen to you, and empathize.  I will always show both compassion and care for others, and I will always love as Jesus loves us.  But I am God’s child, and I no longer have to apologize for who I am.

The verses today remind us that we are free to be who God intended us.  Paul’s comparison of the old and new covenant is very telling.  In the old covenant, the Israelites were forced into this feeling that they were to serve God, and this was best done by following His rules or order.  When we think of it, the problem was easy to see.  They were slaves to the law but not God.  This of course was not God’s intent.  Thus, the new covenant through Christ liberated them to serve God in an entirely different way.  It was to love God first and foremost, and through love they would both see and understand those things which God coveted most; our heart, mind, and soul.  They thus had confidence to try to go farther than before for even as they would fail, they would simply get up and strive to be better servants.  This is what changes everything for us.

God did not make us to be meek.  Jesus Himself is humble, compassionate, and loving.  But He is not soft!  He has no problem calling out issues, and was willing to call out the Pharisees even as they would crucify Him.  He chose Saul, a persecutor of Christians, on the road to Damascus to make him a leader of the new covenant.  Do not be afraid of who you are!  God made you exactly as you are to do His will.  It does not mean we won’t have to grow and change.  What it will mean is that we will be stronger and better than we could possibly imagine if we trust Him.  What do you need to remove from your life today to better see Christ?  My prayer is that we are bold as the verses say and remove the veil.  Amen.