like a flint

The servant grew up before God—a scrawny seedling, a scrubby plant in a parched field. There was nothing attractive about him, nothing to cause us to take a second look. He was looked down on and passed over, a man who suffered, who knew pain firsthand. One look at him and people turned away. We looked down on him, thought he was scum. But the fact is, it was our pains he carried— our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us. We thought he brought it on himself, that God was punishing him for his own failures. But it was our sins that did that to him, that ripped and tore and crushed him— our sins ! He took the punishment, and that made us whole. Through his bruises we get healed. We’re all like sheep who’ve wandered off and gotten lost. We’ve all done our own thing, gone our own way. And God has piled all our sins, everything we’ve done wrong, on him, on him. Isaiah 53:2‭-‬6 MSG
https://bible.com/bible/97/isa.53.2-6.MSG

Those of us who despare at our aging visage, or wrinkles and loose skin tend to judge ourselves by what we see in the mirror. Yet Jesus was not born a beauty to behold. I remember good friends of my husband and I  had their first baby. This baby was truly ugly to behold, yet his proud parents loved him dearly. I imagine this was what it was like for Mary and Joseph.

Jesus didn't come to win friends and influence people by His looks. Yet with the Spirit of God on Him He shone. He was annointed to heal the sick and set the capitves free.

Jesus refused to be waylaid. Peter tried and was rebuked.  Scripture tells us that Jesus set His face like a flint towards the cross. He had to as everything depended on Him. Amen!

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