April 08 – THE LORD DID NOT HIDE HIS FACE !

“I gave My back to those who struck Me, and My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hide My face from shame and spitting” (Isaiah 50:6).

Look at the face of Lord Jesus, who cried out for the forgiveness of the sins of mankind. It was glorious and beautiful and altogether lovely. He was described as white and ruddy, and chief among ten thousand. But when He was crucified, there was no form or comeliness, no glory or beauty in Him. The Scripture says, “Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands” (Mathew 26:67).

They spat on His face and beat His head with a rod. About six hundred soldiers stood around and spat on Jesus – who remained silent before them, like a lamb. Then they blind-folded Him and spat on Him again and asked Him to prophesy as to who hit Him? He was spat upon three times.

The Lord says, “I gave My back to those who struck Me, and My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hide My face from shame and spitting” (Isaiah 50:6). In spite of all these acts of shame and reproach, He still forgave them.

Once there was an altercation between a brother and sister. While they were arguing, in the heat of the moment, the sister spat on the face of her brother. The brother was furious and could never forgive her; and he started beating her violently. And the sister fell down unconscious. The brother, fearing that she is dead, ran off from that place to a different city. Spitting upon someone is considered as extremely shameful act.

Once Mother Teresa went to a grocery-store owner, opened her hands and requested him for some wheat to feed the orphaned children that she was bringing up. That person, spat on her hands instead of giving the grains. Even then Mother Teresa, with a smiling face, said to him: “Thank you for your gift to me. Now give something to my children, to feed their hunger”. These words broke the heart of that person, and he repented of his act and gave a bag full of wheat for the children.

Children of God, you also should look unto the cross and obtain the Lord’s grace of forgiving.

Verse for further meditation: “He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him” (Isaiah 53:2).