Articles
 The Upper Room Discourse 79
 The Upper Room Discourse 78
 The Upper Room Discourse 77
 The Upper Room Discourse 76
 The Upper Room Discourse 75
 The Upper Room Discourse 74
 The Upper Room Discourse 73
 The Upper Room Discourse 72
 The Upper Room Discourse 71
 The Upper Room Discourse 70

Series [All]
 Daniel Juster (61)
 Fruit of the Spirit (8)
 Guy Cohen (56)
 Introduction to Messianic Judaism (24)
 Juster summer trip
 Mark Rantz (2)
 The Mitzvah Book (93)
 Tikkun Articles (5)
 Torah Thoughts
 Zion's Glory (3)

Archive


 

Friday, 16 October 2020
In His Image

"So God created humankind in His own image; in the image of God He created him: male and female He created them." (Genesis 1:27, CJB)

Every time I read this verse it gives me a sense of comfort and awe. Comfort and security because if I am made in G-d's image then I precious in His eyes because He fashioned me with His own fingers! Awe because, in the words of the Psalmist, what is man that G-d should heed us? We are so flawed at times, that it seems incredible. We are not here by accident, we didn't just evolve from primeval bacteria in the sea, we are created in the image of G-d!

I believe that this verse gives us a responsibility. A responsibility to look in the mirror and not just see our crooked teeth, or the weight we can't run off, or the sag our aging chin has - but to see beyond the externals to the person G-d has fashioned and wants to grow us in to. If G-d has created us in His image, then we cannot trash what He has created by believing we are of no worth.

We also have a responsibilty to other people. The verse says "male and female", so noone is excluded - this is every person! They may irritate and hurt us, some of them are definitely unprepossessing and there are others we have to remove ourselves from for our own good. But every single person is made in G-d's image, every single person has a spark of His design and goodness in them.

Who are you struggling with at the moment? Who do you avoid speaking to at congregation because they annoy you too much? Is there an aspect of yourself that you have been internally cursing because you think you are worthless? Let us remember to extend G-d's grace both to ourselves and to others, because G-d has created each one of us in His image.

"But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit." (2 Corinthians 3:18, NASB)

Posted By Tabitha Allen, 10:00am Comment Comments: 0