Tip of My Iceberg

It was supposed to be a surprise. My husband reached a milestone birthday, and he despises celebrations where he’s the center of attention. His favorite birthday as an adult was during COVID, when nobody could be together. I was told to have him outside at a certain time, and a lineup of cars, like a convoy, came down our road, with people hanging out the windows of their cars, yelling “Happy Birthday” at the top of their lungs, holding up posters with all kinds of crazy comments on them.

Then they left after going around the cul-de-sac once. The neighbors weren’t too excited, but it was a bit of a highlight for them, too, because everyone had been stuck in their homes for so long.

This celebration was different. All six kids made it home for the weekend to celebrate their dad. Mark and Courtney, however, made it in a day early, enabling them to see Ryken’s musical theatrical production of “Junie B. Jones”. They came in disguises, looking strange enough to make heads turn, wondering if someone needed to call the police should something go awry.

They came in as the lights were dimming, and Courtney tapped her dad on the shoulder. He turned and stared, not understanding why she’d bumped into him.

It took him a hot second to recognize two of his own kids, which led to more laughter when the story was retold later.

Disguises are fun ways of confusing or surprising people. But they’re also used to mask certain intentions, to misdirect what others think, and to hide from possible problems or people.

Ancient Israel was divided into two kingdoms: the Northern Kingdom, known as Israel, and the Southern Kingdom, known as Judah. The two kings, Ahab and Jehoshaphat, joined together in battle against the kingdom of Aram. Ahab, the king of Israel, was fearful that, if the Aramean army could identify him as king, they’d try to kill him. “The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, ‘As we go into battle, I will disguise myself so no one will recognize me, but you wear your royal robes.’ So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into battle.” 1 Kings 22:30.

The king of Aram had tasked his soldiers with specifically killing the king of Israel. When they saw Jehoshaphat dressed in royal robes, they went after him. When they realized it wasn’t who they were after, they stopped chasing him.

One of the soldiers in the Aramean army randomly shot an arrow at the Israeli troops, and it hit the king of Israel in the chink of his armor. He died from his wound.

As much as he wanted to hide himself from his enemies, his disguise didn’t work. We can’t keep hard things from happening to us by hiding behind a mask or pretending to be someone we’re not.

Jesus reminded us that inner authenticity is more important than outward appearances. Being true to ourselves is a reflection of our character. He spoke harshly to the religious leaders of His day. “You’re hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You buff the surface of your cups and bowls so they sparkle in the sun, while the insides are maggoty with your greed and gluttony. Stupid Pharisees! Scour the insides, and then the gleaming surface will mean something.” Matthew 23:25-26.

Like the Pharisees, who cared more for their appearances, their looks didn’t hold up under the scrutiny of truth. Jesus saw who they were–pretenders who sought to look good to the people so they could keep their respect.

Courtney and Mark pretended to be different so they could surprise their dad. They couldn’t fool him for more than a moment; that’s what made it fun.

We can’t consistently hide who we really are. God knows us intimately and accepts us if we seek Him.

No disguise needed.