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The Look

by Jerry Ousley  
3/20/2010 / Christian Living

When we were growing up our mother had a look a gaze if you will, and we all knew what it meant. She didn't have to utter a single word because when we locked eyes with her and she had that look we knew that she meant business. It was time to stop whatever we were doing that she didn't want us to do and "straighten up" or we knew the consequences. We possessed this knowledge because at one time or another each of us four children had suffered the consequences that resulted from not heeding that look.

I'd say that many of you know exactly what I mean, especially those of us who are technically over the hill. That was a time when the look was backed up by action. Some still abide by those unwritten rules today, but sadly too many parents have the look but there is nothing to back it up with because, frankly, they forgot the secondary use of a belt, their hands have grown too soft to issue a good hide-tanning, and their idea of a switch is what turns on the light in the living room. You know what I mean.

But to get back to the point, that look literally spoke a thousand words. It carried more weight than any idle threat, because we knew what was coming next if we didn't heed the warning of that look. Our Lord, Jesus Christ has several looks.

First He has a look of anger. In the story of the man with the withered hand, who had come forward for healing one particular Sabbath in the Synagogue, Jesus looked over the crowd in anger because He knew they were standing in judgment. "Will this man heal on the Sabbath?" They felt like the act of healing would violate the "no work code" that the Law had specified in regards to the Sabbath Day. That was their opinion. But they didn't realize that there was no work involved in what Christ would do. He merely had to speak the word and it was done. Basically He looked at them in anger and told them, "There isn't one of you who if you got up on the Sabbath and your ox was stuck in a ditch, you would immediately go and pull it out because you know that the animal could die if you didn't. You excuse the rescue of an animal on the Sabbath but would have this man go on in his sickness!" He was angry. I would never want Christ to be angry at me because when He is angry He is justified for it.

Christ has a look of disappointment. As He stood before the Jewish Sanhedrin who had accused Him of blasphemy that infamous night before His crucifixion, a few hours before He had predicted that Peter would deny Him three times before the rooster crowed twice. It happened exactly that way. The Bible tells us that after the rooster had crowed its final time that He turned and looked at Peter, and Peter saw it. The Lord was disappointed in Peter. Jesus didn't have to speak a single word. Peter knew what he had done. Fortunately for him and for us, the disciple repented and after the Day of Pentecost he no longer acted in cowardice but stood mightily as a witness for the Lord.

Jesus also has a look of detection. As He made His way through the pushing throng of people to get to the home of Jairus to heal his sick daughter, suddenly He stopped. Someone had touched Him. Who was it? The disciples reminded Him that He was in a crowd and people were pushing all over the place. How could He possibly have distinguished a single touch? But He had felt power leave His body. Someone had touched Him in faith. He locked gaze on a woman who had experienced a sickness for twelve long years. It was as if He looked right through her and so she came forward and confessed. But Jesus wasn't looking at her in judgment but praised her for her faith. He can detect whatever we do and His look tells it all.

Then there is His look of trust. When He fed the multitude with only a handful of cakes and fish, He looked to Heaven first, gave thanks for the food and trusted in His Father to provide for all those people.

We too need to realize the looks of Christ. Does He look upon us in anger, disappointment, detection, or trust? I'd say that if you are like me there have been times He has looked on us with all of these gazes. But isn't it rewarding when we have realized the sin we have committed when He looks at us in anger, then we repent as He looks on us in disappointment? We then grow in faith and realize that He looks on us in detection and as we are obedient to Him, we feel His look of trust. The Lord is looking on each of us today. What look do you see in His face?

Jerry D. Ousley is the author of ?Soul Challenge?, ?Soul Journey?, ?Ordeal?, ?The Spirit Bread Daily Devotional and his first novel ?The Shoe Tree.? Visit our website at spiritbread.com to download these and more completely free of charge.

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