MASKS
by Kathy Pegram

 

According to Webster's a mask is “something that disguises one's true character or intentions. It conceals, covers up, and makes one imperceptible.”

Jesus, was aware of pretense and masks. Jesus was concerned with discipleship, with drawing people into a relationship as faithful stewards of God, followers of God's Way, but in that concern He was aware of the danger of pretense. He talks about the scribes and Pharisees and the masks they wear in a figurative sense. Their concern was with appearance, what others would see on the surface at face value. They lived with a pretense of power, importance, and knowledge. Their appearance was impressive. It was all pretense. They were concerned only with themselves. They did not treasure their teachings. They did not practice what they taught. They put burdens on others and made no attempt to assist in lifting those burdens.

Jesus was concerned with discipleship. What He focused on was not the scribes and Pharisees, religious leaders, but on the young disciples, those who had made a commitment to Him and were seeking to be obedient. Jesus saw the danger. The time would come when they would be powerful and respected and have authority. He wanted them to be careful. To watch out and not lose sight of true discipleship. He didn't want them to live lives of pretense.

Jesus put the focus on the integrity of discipleship. It raised a question: What is behind the masks? Who are we inside, not just outside? What kind of mask might we be wearing as individuals? As a Church?

Who are you when you take off you masks? Who are you when you stand singly in the presence of God? What does God see behind all of your masks? Jesus saw in the religious of His day, that those scribes and Pharisees were not what they claimed, that integrity was violated. They wore masks. They pretended to be something they were not. They did not practice what they preached. This is what Jesus saw behind the mask.

Some of us wear masks of poise and confidence while others wear masks of humility and self-effacement. When Halloween rolls around the masks we see are usually very obvious. But these other masks are often much less so. We sometimes wear masks because we are afraid of failure and at other times we wear masks to hide more self-serving ideas, values and goals. Sometimes the people wearing the masks have done so for so long that they have forgotten how to be their real selves. I know you've seen people who have their masks on so securely they don't even know who they are any more.

We all wear masks to some extent, so that we're slightly different people at work and at home, with our families and with our friends. In different circumstances, we tend to show different aspects of ourselves. Perhaps the one person who never wore a mask, was Jesus. He was always himself, He never hid behind a facade. The inner Jesus was identical to the outward face of Jesus, so that people meeting Jesus met the real person, not an aspect of him, or one side of his personality. They met the authentic Jesus.

Someone who is that transparent, that authentic, is very close to God, for there are no thick layers of defense keeping God out. This made Jesus very dangerous to his opponents, for at some deep level human beings know the truth when they hear it, even when they deny it intellectually. And the truth often hurts.

I think most people in their heart of hearts would like to be genuine. But, they've worn their masks so long they can't find their way back to the true them. Your mask may look like you have it altogether but inside you're just a quivering mass of "Please help me!" The mask may be a devious mask thinking your getting away with something. Even though the scriptures tell us there will ultimately be no secrets.

What kind of a mask do you have on as you read this? Maybe you are feeling that your heart and your face/mask are so far apart that you will never be able to remove your masks. Well there is good news Christ died on the cross to cover all of our phoniness, lying, deceiving, and even our hiding. God wants to help us take off our masks. When all is said and done what God sees is what matter and we can't hide from Him. He sees behind each and every one of our masks. So when you begin your day whether you are a minister, teacher, farmer, homemaker, etc. As you start out the door and you slip on your mask for the day just remember masks don't impress God. He sees your heart. As I was searching for a way to end this column I found this poem. I don't know who the author is. But, I have a feeling he is not alone in his feelings in this poem.

Don't be fooled by me.
Don't be fooled by the face I wear
For I wear a mask. I wear a thousand masks -
masks that I am afraid to take off
and none of them are me.

Pretending is an art that's second nature with me.
But don't be fooled, for God's sake don't be fooled.
I give you the impression that I am secure
That all is sunny and unruffled with me
within as well as without,
that confidence is my name
and coolness my game,
that the water is calm
and I'm in command,
and that I need no one.
But don't believe me. Please!

...... So I play my game, my desperate, pretending game
With a facade of assurance without
and a trembling child within.
So begins the parade of masks,
The glittering but empty parade of masks,
and my life becomes a front.
..... I dislike hiding.

Honestly.
I dislike the superficial game I am playing,
the superficial phony game.
I'd really like to be genuine
and me.

But I need your help, your hand to hold
Even though my masks would tell you otherwise.
.....Don't be fooled by me.
At least not by the face I wear.

“When I was a child, I talked like a child, I though like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” I Cor. 13: 11-12

 

Love & Prayers,
Kathy