Self Portraits

S

(Matthew 21:27) So they answered Jesus, "We do not know." And He said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."

O

In His answer to people who pretended ignorance as a devise for avoiding personal honesty and change, He exposed for them their primal fear (verse 26). His next words, "What do you think?" underscored the work He does continually in us--prodding us into honest evaluation of our condition. Likewise, Jesus' first words to our "family of origin" were invitations to honest thinking: "Where are you?" (Genesis 3:9). The cure for soul-sickness begins with our commitment to authenticity.

A (Personal)

If my primal need is to be honest with God, I need to be cautious about pleading ignorance. God wants me to think. If I am truly ignorant, then I need to seek Him and His kingdom above all else. Otherwise, I'll continue deeper into dark fantasies even while telling myself I'm in the light. I see that honesty with God leads to me rightly identifying both my problem and His solution. The Bible calls this alignment of our thoughts with God's Truth repentance (Isaiah 55:6-9; Matthew 4:16,17).

A (Psychological)

The Awareness Wheel has long been a popular intervention among therapists. It helps people discover the inner workings of their brains by asking, "What am I sensing, thinking, feeling, wanting, and doing?" Matthew documents Jesus asking essentially the same questions, as Moses documents Him asking similar questions of our "family of origin." (1) "Who told you that you were naked" (Genesis 3:11) prompts scrutiny of our primal resources. What I am hearing, seeing, sensing, etc. is the raw data that informs my reality. (2) "Where are you" (Genesis 3:9) echoes Jesus' often asked question, "What do you think?" (Matthew 18:12; 21:28). (3) "Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen" (Genesis 4:6) prompts my admission of not only the obvious emotion of anger, but also the underlying, primary emotions that fuel both anger and "face falling." (4) "Sin's desire is for you, but you must rule over it" (Genesis 4:7) invites my honesty about my desires. Jesus frequently prompted people to put their wants into actual words and requests so they could be processed (Matthew 20:20, 32). Finally (5) "What have you done" (Genesis 3:13; 4:10) invites my honest consideration of my actions. Jesus is indeed a good therapist.

P

Lord, thank You for pursuing me with Truth. Your questions prod me to translate my thoughts, motives, ambitions, and actions into words. That's not easy, but it helps me to face myself more honestly ... it helps me face You more honestly. The world has opened my eyes to darkness, but You have opened my eyes to rightly see darkness as darkness, and above all joys, to have my heart enlightened that I may know true hope (Ephesians 1:15-23).