An Ordinary Man
This week I'm learning about the law of Moses and the teachings of Abinadi. In Mosiah 14:2 I was struck by the way our Savior, Christ, is portrayed. It says, "For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground; he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him."
Christ will not come with dashing good looks, born into privilege with money to throw around. He will not be someone many would look to and follow simply because of a celebrity status or his position. He will be an ordinary man, one that people would need to look beyond the outward appearance and see the inner light to know who He is.
This is something I've known growing up, that Christ was an ordinary man. But reading this scripture this week gave me new meaning behind it. The way Abinadi describes Christ is "a tender plant, as a root out of dry ground; he hath no form nor comeliness..." He will not be perceived as offering much on the outward appearance, but a person needs to feel what's inside. "Let your light so shine before men..." (Matt 5:16) We're taught this principle all our lives, Christ lived this principle.
Putting these terms into modern day application, I see how it would be easy to follow someone you look at and admire. A movie star, a famous author, the popular kid at school. It's easy to look upon someone and want to follow them simply for how they look. It's not as easy when you need to look beyond the outward appearance and see what's inside. How can we deny the light, the spirit, and feeling we get while getting to know these people and see their inner light? When we can do that, we truly know the person inside.
I think this is why love grows over time. Just like a deep root makes a large, sturdy tree, once you see the inner light of your companion, you grow more in love each day.
ReplyDeleteWhen reading this I’m brought back to something I learned as a kid. It doesn’t matter how beautiful you are on the outside if your heart is ugly, because what truly matters is on the inside.
ReplyDeleteGreat insight! Wow, so many analogies came to mind. Like the old saying - don’t judge a book by its cover. I can picture the roots - like needing a firm foundation. Thanks for sharing! -Danielle
ReplyDeleteI had an Institute teacher that used to tell us that, during his mortal ministry, Christ was just a normal guy. He probably got a cold every now and then or an upset stomach... you know, that trials of mortality. But people followed Him for how he treated them. Unconditional love goes a long way, regardless of what you look like or the clothes you wear. Well said, M.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Everyone! This helps me a lot! I love your comments, they've added so much more to my insight. <3
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