Reading Jesus: Trick of Treat?

It's fun to put on a mask and pretend we are someone else; to take on a role or new identity. We do it as kids during Halloween and some folks are so good at it that they make it their profession: Hillary Swank, Sean Penn, and Robert DeNiro all have become famous for their ability to take on a new role and make it believable to their audience.

Some of us put on masks early in life and have never removed them; the masks are still there, and we have become famous to those who know us for our ability to take on a role and make it believable even to our ourselves.

Some of us have been given masks to wear by others without being consciously aware.

What are some of the masks we wear?

Being Nice: The exterior smile often seems genuine, but sometimes underneath there is fear of being rejected; fear of being unacceptable; fear of losing control.

Anger: this is a mask that can make one feel safe and secure by scaring away any threat to oneself; it's the scary mask that disguises fear and hurt. When you see the mask of anger in another or yourself, rather than allowing yourself to be terrified, look beneath for the fear or hurt.

"Success": I'm not really sure what this one means. I presume it can take on different meanings to different people. Whether it's my job or position or possessions I can easily begin to identify myself with the mask I wear.

Being Perfect: Shoulds and oughts seem to be a effort to "get it right", as if somehow we can ever attain "correctness" or "rightness".

Religious/Spiritual: Sometimes we trade one mask for another. We go from wearing the mask of failure and brokeness to putting on a new mask of being super-religous now possessing all knowledge and power.

Regardless of the masks, there often seems to be a multi-layer of pseudo-identities beneath who I am. I have become at times a master at exchanging masks nearly as quickly as Clark Kent could enter a phonebooth and become Superman. There are the Bruce Waynes of the world who easily slide down the "batpoles" of life and in an instant are become a superhero.

Masks can get really heavy as we trod through life. Sometimes the weight can become overbearing and we simply collapse under the heaviness of the masks.

I don't know about you, but I have worn all these masks and still catch myself habitually picking-up a mask that feels comfortable and easy. I can feel naked without my mask or masks.

As I Read Jesus, I find the one who saw beneath the masks worn by those he encountered. Whether it's the super religious or the super irreligious, Jesus saw beneath the masks. Whether the masks we imposed by society or the masks were worn as an exterior religious symbol of proper belief and behavior, but it seems under grace no masks are needed. Perhaps "dying to self" may just be "dying to the masks" we think we wear. (I guess we need to be cautious that we don't wear a mask of "dying to self" either.) In the presence of Jesus we don't have to wear masks; perhaps in the presence of Jesus is where we find our true indentity: it seems that Jesus compassionately received folks regardless of the masks they wore: religious, lepers, "sinners", "betrayers", or the friends who denied knowing him.

Somehow God sees beneath the masks; and somehow receives and loves. In Jesus, we learn that we don't have to wear masks to disguise and hide. In Jesus, we don't have to play "Trick or Treat", instead we find the God that knocks on the doors of hearts and invites us into his house where we can take off all the masks; where sitting at his table we discover our true selves or real identity. It seems the closer we get to God or the closer God gets to us, the fewer masks we feel the need to wear.