11-02-2023

Good Morning All,

   Genesis 32:30; “So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.”

    Have you ever met someone who is famous face to face?  Have you ever shaken the hand of a US senator or congressman?  It usually leaves us a little befuddled and confused.  “I thought he was taller” “He looks younger on TV.”  We usually come away with a sense of awe and excitement.  It can make our day or even week somewhat more enjoyable.

    In our verse, Jacob speaks of seeing God face to face.  That would be awe inspiring.  It would leave us fearful, amazed, and completely.  How would you react?  Would it be fearsome, awesome or something else? 

    The reason Jacob is amazed is because only those who were holy could see God and live and since no man was holy; well, there wasn’t much to discuss.  Yet Jacob saw God; how?  Jacob saw God for one simple reason because of God’s grace.  God’s love for Jacob allowed him to see God.  God’s love for us does the same.

     We get to see God.  We see him through the wondrous sacrifice that Jesus did for us.  We get to see God’s face in the Word in which we hear him speak those tender words of mercy.  We see God’s face in the bread and the wine as our soul and faith are fed and nourished.  But where we truly see God’s face is when we look at our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.  We see God face to face in the love and compassion that we receive.  They see God face to face when we are loving and compassionate. 

    God is, by his nature, a loving God.  He loves us and wants us to see it.  He gives us his love; through the Word, living, spoken, and eaten.  He shows us his love by having others be his face, his hands, and his beating heart.  When we show compassion for people, they see God face to face.  When we share God’s mercy and try to comfort those who are afflicted in some way, we show them God face to face and it is an awesome event.  It is an awesome event because showing people God face to face brings hope.  When people see God face to face, they can have comfort and peace; a comfort and peace they receive by looking into your face.

   The God of all comfort uses us to provide that face-to-face meeting.  Martin Luther called Christians the “masks of God.”  God is the real agent of love he just uses us to deliver that comfort, that compassion.  So, as we go about our day; look for chances to show others God face to face.  Share the love of Christ with them.  Help them in need and want.  Pray for them, comfort them, console them, rejoice with them but give them God’s love as he has given to you.

Father of mercy, we see you face to face because of your grace.  Protect us with your power, comfort us with your peace.  Let us see you face to face that we may have comfort in this life.  Give to us the peace that the world cannot give.  Direct me to those who need to see your face.     In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret