Does God Care About Physical Appearance?

by Jeff Curtis

When Samuel, under God’s guidance, was ready to anoint a king from the sons of Jesse to succeed Saul, he thought he had found the right man for the job in Jesse’s oldest son, Eliab. “But the Lord said the Samuel, ‘Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart” (1Sam. 16:7). This passage seems to say, “God doesn’t care what you look like.” That thought brings comfort to many of us.

It then comes as something of a surprise to read Leviticus 21 and discover that God rejected some priests because they had defects or blemishes. Does that fact violate God’s nondiscriminatory policy regarding appearances? The answer to that question is “no” for the reasons given earlier. The priests under the Old Testament system were a special case. They represented God and His holiness; to do so appropriately, they had to be “without defect.”

What about in the New Testament? Does the law of Christ that we live under have anything to say about what God thinks agrees with the truth in the passage in 1Samuel. The biggest discrimination problem in the New Testament times was not based on the abilities or appearances, but on nationality; Jews didn’t associate with Gentiles. That issue was emphatically settled by the inspired writers. Paul said, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28).

When God saves a person, He doesn’t consider his standing in the world. After that person has been saved, he or she is a child of God and a disciple of Jesus. God doesn’t care about a person’s genealogy or appearance. All are one in Christ Jesus.

Is there any situation in which a Christian’s appearance might matter? Yes. Since God wants each of us His people to be a good influence (Matt. 5:13-16), Christians need to consider how they look to others on a daily basis. It is true that “the Lord looks at the heart,” but other people look at one’s physical appearance and draw conclusions about Him based on what they see.

Knowing this, should we care what others see or think when they look at us? If we are concerned about being a good influence on others and saving the souls of others, then we should. Of course, circumstances vary from time to time, place to place, and culture to culture; so, no Christian can dictate how another should look in every circumstance. Still, each Christian must be conscience of the way appearance can enhance or detract from his or her Christian influence.

In some respects, we cannot do much about how we look; but all of us should “do the best with what we have” so that we can have the best influence possible on others in the world in which we live.

“Neighborly Love”

by Jeff Curtis

A scribe, a Pharisaic lawyer, asked Jesus which was the greatest commandment in the law of Moses (Mark 12:28). In His answer, Jesus spoke to him about love. First, He said, is to love God; and second, we are to love others (Mark 12:30-31).

We are going to focus on the second of these two, the command to love our neighbors as ourselves. In James 2:8 this is called “the royal law,” and in Romans 13:8 it is identified as the fulfillment of the law. In Galatians 5:14 Paul said, “For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” When Jesus told the rich young ruler to keep the commandments, He specifically mentioned the commandment “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt. 19:19).

The big question about this important commandment is “How do we love our neighbors as ourselves?”

1. Neighborly love is a practical love. We all have experience in loving ourselves; we address our needs and make sure that we have the necessities for living a good life.

2. Neighborly love is an active love. This commandment calls for an immediate response. It isn’t about how we feel toward the neighbor (because feelings can vary), but what we do for our neighbor. When we see a neighbor in need, do we help him?

Jesus illustrated this principle in Luke 10:30-37. The parable of the “Good Samaritan.” Unlike the priests and the Levite in Jesus’ story, who “passed by on the other side” when they saw someone in need, this Samaritan demonstrated active love.

At the end of the story, Jesus asked, “Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robber’s hands?” (Luke 10:36).

The lawyer responded, “The one who showed mercy to him?” (Luke 10:37). Jesus’ final words gave a message to all of us; “Go and do the same” (Luke 10:37). We are not to pass by someone who needs help. Neighborly love is extending more than sympathy.

3. Neighborly love is a continual love. This is not a once-in-a-while love; it is a daily love. Each passage in the New Testament that addresses this theme features continuity. Romans 13:8-10 speaks to this.

We could say that the commandment to love others is an outstanding growth of the first and foremost commandment. If we love God with all our hearts, we will love our neighbors as ourselves. Love for our neighbors, results from our love for God.

One who is a good friend will usually have good friends, and he who is a good neighbor will usually have good neighbors. However, as Christians, we are to manifest neighborly love whether or not we have a good neighbors. This is how the love of God affects our daily living.