The Thoughts Make the Face by
J. R. Miller from The Face of the
Master His face was like the sun, shining in all its brilliance. Revelation chapter 1 verse 16.
We have no picture of Jesus Christ. The paintings of him which artists
have given us are only their conceptions of his appearance.
None of these paintings, however noble and worthy they may be,
are to be thought of as true portraits of the Master's face. yet the face of Jesus Christ
must have been very beautiful it is sin that disfigures the
human countenance and there was no sin in him his life was spotless
and pure they tell us that the thoughts make the face We cannot
altogether hide our inner life from men's eyes. What goes on
in the depths of our being comes up to the surface in unmistakable
indications and revealings. The faulty qualities of the heart
work out in the life and betray themselves in the face. If you
are discontented, then the discontent will reveal itself in your features. If you have bitter thoughts and
feelings in your heart, then the bitterness will write its
hard lines on your countenance. But if you habitually think gentle
thoughts, kindly thoughts, peaceful thoughts, then on your face will
come gentleness, kindness and peace. If you keep love in your
heart amid all your afflictions and trials, all the irritations
and harrowings of life, then your face will shine with love. There is much truth in the familiar
lines, beautiful thoughts make a beautiful soul, and a beautiful
soul makes a beautiful face. We know that all the thoughts
of the Master were beautiful thoughts. Heaven dwelt in Him,
and there was never any fleck of stain upon His soul. In a
world of hate, cruelty, and injustice, His heart was always full of
love. Never was there an unkind thought there for a moment. Infinite
holiness dwelt in him. All the Beatitudes had their
home in his bosom. All the fruits of the Spirit
grew to perfect ripeness in him. whatever things are true whatever
things are noble whatever things are just whatever things are
pure whatever things are lovely whatever things are commendable
if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy
meditate on these things Philippians chapter 4 verse 8 these are the
things on which Jesus thought continually He never had a sordid
thought, an impure thought, a trivial thought, a selfish thought. His
mind was never disturbed by discontent, by impurity, by anxiety. His converse was always with
his father. the walking on the earth among
sinful men, he really lived in heaven. All his feelings, desires,
affections and emotions were holy. He always did those things
that were pleasing to his father. If beautiful thoughts make a
beautiful soul, then the soul of Jesus was spotlessly, divinely
beautiful. And if a beautiful soul makes
a beautiful face, then the face of Jesus was transcendentally
lovely. Sorrow mars some faces. It need
not do so. Only when affliction is not accepted
in love and faith does it leave marks of disfigurement. Sorrow,
sweetly endured, transfigures the face, giving it new beauty. Jesus was a man of sorrows, but
his sorrows only made his face more radiant. Poverty writes
hard lines on some faces. Jesus was poor. He had nowhere
to lay his head. But his poverty left no trace
on his features except to make them gentler, kindlier, more
sympathetic toward human poverty and need. His face was quiet,
calm, serene, heavenly. you