“Love Appears” Pastor Hines February 6, 2022

 

“Love Appears”

Pastor Hines

February 6, 2022

How many of us have seen beautiful artwork with Jesus looking beautifully divine? His blue eyes and golden blonde hair inspire us. As well, we are inspired by Jesus as a man of color  and Jesus as an Asian. 

When I lived in Philadelphia, I heard of the Norman Rockwell Museum which no longer exists. His paintings attracted me. I even have this one on my wall in the office. When I did not see any people of color in any of his paintings that I saw, I was not offended, I just wanted to see the richness of his gift with faces that were as dark as mine, so I wrote the museum and asked if any existed. They sent me this picture. There was no note, no explanation, just the picture. I could not help wonder if they were offended that I even asked. It was not my intention to offend or protest; I just wanted to see his extraordinary, God-given gift expressed in brown faces. 

 

How we see and what we see makes a world of difference in our lives. What we see effects our self-esteem and our esteem for others. The Apostle Paul reminds his church in Corinth that people saw Jesus after Jesus rose from the dead. It is critical that all understand that Jesus is not ordinary, but extraordinary.

Corinth was like a city some have called a “Sin City” In a “sin city.” Everybody and anybody was doing anything and everything, whether good or evil. Apostle Paul was the first preacher that the Corinthians had ever heard. They knew little about Jesus until Paul spoke to them. That’s big. You can imagine that talking about having right relationships and spending time in prayer and tithing and respecting all people no matter their religion or race did not make Paul very popular at all. No it did not. He was persecuted and criticized, but he knew his message was one that could save anybody and everybody from their sinful ways. How wonderful it is to be saved!!! Surely you know someone right now that needs to be saved, delivered, and relieved of some burden great or small.

Paul helped them to see Jesus for who he is, a loving savior to those who want to be saved. Paul reminded the church, beginning in verse 5, that after Jesus’ resurrection, he appeared in all his loving glory first to Peter, then the twelve disciples, then a crowd of 500, then to his brother James, then to all the apostles (unnamed church leaders), and finally to Paul himself.

So Paul’s words to the church beg the question. Have YOU seen Jesus? The only time I can say that I saw Jesus was when I was sitting on the floor exercising. I had been hit by a car while crossing off Broad Street a couple blocks from where I worked as a social worker at United Methodist Neighborhood Services for three years after graduating from college. Just a little tap on my thigh from a 2000 pound vehicle landed me in the street in the middle of the day. I recall the panicked woman driver declaring how I just walked right into her car as she was turning the corner. Then a sweet man gently asked me if I could somehow get out of the middle of the street because I was blocking traffic. I was stunned, but I was able to do just that – move a couple feet onto the sidewalk. I did not need an ambulance but I did have a few weeks of therapy and with the help of a lawyer suggested by a “frenemy” received a check for $600.

A few months, after weeks of therapy, I was taking a long walk and felt my leg tighten until I thought I would not be able to walk back home. It was not a neighborhood that I wanted to be helpless and alone in. Knowing this might happen again, I began to pray daily for God to help me. I did not have health insurance. I was inspired by the Holy Spirit to do certain stretches that enabled me to walk without losing my strength.

Through the years, stretching has given me strength. One day, as I sat on the floor stretching, I saw a flash of the typical white-robed Jesus, quiet, peaceful and beautiful. He was beautiful – not because of his features but because of the love that thoroughly enveloped me. Love appeared. I clearly understood that I was being blessed and that stretching was an important part of taking care of the body that God had given me in order to do ministry and enjoy life. Seeing Jesus that day encourages my soul in a mighty way to this day.

What’s your story? Have you seen Jesus in a dream? In a vision? In a moment of meditation or service? In artwork like Henry Ossawa Tanner another Philadelphia artist who saw Jesus in his painting entitled, “The Saviour?” 

Seeing is believing. Seeing strengthens our faith. Seeing stirs up the Holy Spirit in our hearts and in our lives. Seeing Jesus changes lives. When your family, neighbors, friends and strangers see Jesus in you, you best believe it matters, and it matters a whole lot, it matters more than you think, it matters deep down. 

May it be that all of us can see our God, the God who is ready to bless us with saving and resurrecting power for any problem in our lives, the God “who stays” as one contemporary song says. 

One of my daily prayers is that we would stir up our spiritual gifts and use our unique gifts. Seeing Jesus stirs us, motivates us, drives us into the loving arms of the one who saves, drives us into the loving presence of those who care, drives us into sweet surrender and regular repentance that resurrects us and empowers to live life and to live it more abundantly! Sooner or later, in one way or another, you will see Jesus if you have not already. Love appears. Believe it. Give thanks for it. Pass it on. Amen.