It's said that the apostle Thomas was a Jesus look-alike. That he resembled Jesus so much in fact that the reason Judas had to single out Jesus when he betrayed him (with a kiss) was to distinguish Jesus from Thomas. Now, the gospel accounts of Jesus' arrest do not say this, but it does make sense. Jesus was out and about for all to see, so why else would Judas have to have a signal as to which man it was to be arrested unless Jesus did in fact have a "twin"?
I like this speculation for a couple of reasons. First, it shows how much Jesus became one of us. He was truly a man; he could not be distinguished from other men. He looked just like everyone else. But second, how cool is it to be a Jesus look-alike?
Anyone who met Jesus never forgot him. He could change lives with a few words. His love was unsurpassed. He genuinely cared for those around him and never lost an opportunity to express his love, whether through a story or parable that would teach, or feeding people...or even washing their feet.
Am I a Jesus look-alike in my world today? Do I leave people better off than when I came to them? Do I feed people or clean people and ask for nothing in return? Do I offer a genuine smile to strangers and show kindness whenever possible? Do I forgive people? Do I honestly care for people? When people look at me, do they see the love of Christ?
The closer I draw to Jesus, the more his love comes out of me. I don't even have to try. It's not a concious effort to do good works. Imitating someone you admire is a natural action. Being a friend of Jesus makes love a way of life.
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