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Unveiled Face



A Muslim woman sued Canada's immigration ministry over a policy that requires new Canadians remove their face-covering while taking their oath of citizenship. The 29-year-old says the 'niqab' ban violates her religious belief that her face and hair must remain covered in the presence of men. The then Prime Minister Stephen Harper said, “It is offensive that someone would hide their identity at the very moment where they are committing to join the Canadian family." I am unsure of the full doctrine behind the Muslim veil as there are so many variations of explanations. Veils are used to cover something, a face or identity from someone else.

In Exodus Chapter 34, Moses wore a veil to hide his shining face before the people after he came down from Mount Sinai and seeing God's glory. Moses himself was denied a vision of God’s face but was granted only a backwards glimpse of God's glory from a protective cleft in the rock (Exodus 33:18-23). Yet the people were afraid to look at his face. On the Mount of Transfiguration as narrated by gospel writers Matthew 17, Mark 9 and Luke 9, the face of Jesus shone like the blazing sun. By contrast from Moses on Mount Sinai, the disciples who were with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration were granted an unexpected and overwhelming vision of Jesus’ shining face without a veil. Apostle Paul explains the mystery, "We are not like Moses, who put a veil over his face so the people of Israel would not see the glory, even though it was destined to fade away. Through Christ the veil is taken away. Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away." (2 Cor 3:13-16). Moses reflected the light of God, but Jesus is the light who revealed the glory of God in His person. Jesus said, "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father." (John 14:9).

Moses came with a veiled face and gave the law; Jesus Christ came without the veil to give us grace and truth. "The law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." (John 1:17). Jesus is the truth unveiled, unmasked who revealed that which was hidden by human guilt and sin. At the time when Jesus gave up his life on the cross, the veil in the temple that separated the people from the Holy place was torn into two (Matthew 27:51). On the cross when God the Son died, the sun refused to shine causing darkness. The Sun of righteousness was sacrificed and the punishment was laid on him instead and the veil was removed, so that sinners have access to the a Holy God. Believers in Christ reflect that golry in a world that is darkened by the forces of evil.

Jesus took three of his disciples up on the Mount of Transfiguration where Moses and Elijah appeared. That makes five witnesses that included Peter, James and John of the New Covenant along with Moses and Elijah of the old covenant. John writes about his experience later, “ We have seen His Golry - glory as of the only begotten from the Father." (John 1:13). In many languages, “to see” is used in place for “to know or “to see with the mind, to perceive and know.” In English we say “you see what I mean” in a sense of verifying if the listener understood it correctly. Jesus said, (Mark 8:18) “You have eyes, but you cannot see. You have ears, but you cannot hear” by which means that you have eyes, but do not understand. Peter also remembers this later: “we were eye witnesses of his majesty, where we heard the voice from heaven “this is my beloved son, with whom I am well pleased." (2 Pet 1:16).

The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. "Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the most holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, His body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart." (Hebrews 10:19-21).

The transfiguration story of Jesus is an invitation for those who feel that there is darkness glooming around and there is a veil or barrier to God's presence to go up the mountain with Jesus and trust in His work on the cross. Only God can remove the veil through Jesus Christ.

Blessings

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Fulll sermon audio: Mathew Philip 
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