Riverside Presbyterian Church

Exodus 34:29-35Luke 9:28-432 Corinthians 3:12-18It's important to read all three scripture readings for Sunday to see how they use the metaphor of veiled faces. In the Exodus account, Moses, after talking to God on Mt. Sinai, veils his face because it shone too brightly with God's glory for the people to come close. In Luke's story Jesus goes up on the mountain (like Moses) and his face and even clothes shine brightly as he is transfigured by God's glory. In the Corinthians passage, Paul, previously a fundamentalist Jew who tried to keep every law perfectly, offers the Corinthian church great hope. Even though they cannot keep the law of Moses the presence of Christ in their lives removes all the veils of deceit, hostility, ignorance, racism, self righteousness and hypocrisy we conjure up to hide behind. He reminds them that now with unveiled faces their own face is being transformed from one degree to another into the face of Christ. One day at a time your face becomes more Christ like as you strive to live