With Halloween approaching, people consider the costumes they will wear to parties and other activities. Their choice of attire stems from characters to aspirations to even alter egos. Despite the chosen attire, people endeavor to have fun as they dress up and attempt to hide their identities once a year. However, costumes and masks are more prevalent than one would think. Each day people hide behind the mask and portray characters on a daily basis. Maybe the masks hide fears or showcase who they wish they could be. Regardless, the mask shields others from the truth. Ask yourself: what are you hiding?
The Story: Luke 22:14-23, 47-48
In Luke 22:14-23, 47-48, Jesus and the 12 disciples were at their last Passover meal together. Jesus explained that He wanted to share a meal with them before He suffered. Through the elements of bread and wine, Jesus symbolized to them what He was about to experience. He also notified the 12 that His betrayer was among them at the table. As a result, the disciples discussed among themselves who the betrayer might be.
After the meal, Jesus and some of His disciples went to pray. While in the garden, Judas brought a crowd of people and kissed Jesus on the cheek. Jesus responded by asking if Judas was betraying the Son of Man with a kiss.
The Lesson
From these verses, we see that Judas wore the mask of a friend while his true identity was the betrayer. He hid among his fellow disciples doing the same things they did. He even heard the same messages from Jesus. However, he wasn’t truly one of them.
The actions of Judas pose a question to each of us: what are you hiding? We endeavor to respond with a resounding nothing; however, our actions tell a different truth. We put on a smile when we’re sad on the inside. In addition, we showcase anger when our heart is hurt. We even avoid encounters for fear of rejection. These are all masks we wear.
But why do we hide behind the mask? We think that the mask keeps us safe. It seems to prevent people from hurting us. Unfortunately, the mask is actually a false sense of security. The mask hides the truth and hinders the revelation of authenticity. By wearing the mask, we remain locked behind a facade, never experiencing what is and could be.
No matter how long we’ve been behind the mask, we can come out of hiding. We can live a life of authenticity. We accomplish this by acknowledging and accepting ourselves. Embrace the highs and lows that are us. Then show ourselves to others. In our reveal, we’re not looking for anything from them. We recognize that they’re working on removing their masks. Therefore, we’re simply displaying our truth in all its glory with its imperfections.
So, we can step from behind the mask knowing that we’re ready for our close-up.
*To learn more about mask removal, purchase “Know Him Through.”
**In case you’re wondering, I don’t celebrate Halloween. If witches and warlocks, don’t celebrate the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Then I don’t need to participate in their holiday.
