All events of the inner life, whether they be of an intellectual, spiritual, or physical nature, mirror themselves outwardly. Pastor Felke in his time wrote these words in German:
"In your own face is printed your story, Your hate and your love clearly written. Your innermost being, here it comes to the light, But not all can read it, not all understand."
The eyes of a consecrated pastor, anointed by God, usually know how to evaluate the outward form of appearance of his fellow man. Each human face carries its life story. The walk, the posture, the glance, and many other features are life expressions of hidden experiences. True pastoral care cannot possibly overlook these life events. It will include in its responsible service to mankind the God-given, natural, human gifts.
The Bible gives many hints to the pastor. For instance, we read in Genesis 4 that the Lord observed Cain, who later murdered his brother. Warningly the Lord called to Cain, "Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?" (verse 6). Something in the,heart of Cain must have called forth a change in his appearance. It is recorded that he "was very wroth" over his brother Abel. The Lord had accepted Abel's offering, but not his. Envy and anger came over him. Today we would say, "Cain got excited." But his anger could not re main hidden. So it is today. Human nature has not changed. Angry people act differently from people who are at peace with everyone.
It is true that the joy or sorrow of an individual cannot remain covered. Character traits imprint themselves so plainly on the face of a person that most of us reveal ourselves at the first encounter. I do not mean that with it the most hidden depths of a person can be sounded. The Lord says:
"The heart is treacherous above all things, and desperately sick "Who can understand it? 'I the LORD am a searcher of the heart, a tester of the conscience; that I may give to every man according to his ways, "According to the fruit of his doings'" (Jer. 17: 9, 10).
However, it should be emphasized that God points out the ways of using the potentiality of observation, that we may gain a right under standing of human beings and thus become good pastors.
Knowledge of humanity should not make us uncharitable judges. Healthy pastoral work puts all this information into the service of soul winning. It will stand helpfully beside the path when seeking souls ask about God. When the pastor becomes aware from outward indications that deep conflicts are threatening to destroy the soul (as in Cain's case), then pastoral counseling's hour for true service has come. How many men and women might have been spared a deeper fall, if at the right time fatherly pastoral care had come to them! Thousands who have been dropped from the church could have been saved, if the pastor had known how to help at the right time and had given a kindly warning!
As preachers of the Word we are clear about the meaning of the Word. We know how power fully the Word can work. But we have concerned ourselves less with the power of personal observation. The enemy of God knew this mighty power. He used it in the first favorable instant in human life. When the woman saw, and through that seeing found peculiar thoughts awakened in her, then he spoke the words of temptation. His words would have had no influence upon Eve if the experience of seeing had not accompanied the word. How ever, picture and word, that which was seen and heard, so worked together that they brought upon all mankind an unholy linking together of sin and suffering. And again we human beings are challenged to see, in order that God's love and mercy may grip us more strongly. "Be hold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world," calls John the Baptist as he points to Jesus, the Redeemer. And Paul says to the Galatians:
"O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?" (Gal. 3:1). ("O senseless Galatians, who has bewitched you you who had Jesus Christ the crucified placarded before your very eyes?" Moffatt.)
The Experience of Moses
We have countless examples in the Scriptures which show us how the Lord adds to His word the strong experience of observation. Out of the life of Moses it is reported that he spoke to God as friend with friend, and God thus associated with Moses. Indeed, God spoke with Moses face to face (Ex. 33:11; Deut. 34:10). And yet the first encounter between the Lord and Moses was a meeting of personal experience through sight.
"And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed" (Ex. 3:2).
The experience was so intense that Moses believed he was having a vision. When he rose to admire the sight at closer range, God called from the bush and said, "Moses, Moses!" Moses answered, "Here am I." We ask ourselves, Was it necessary to give Moses such an enduring experience? If God had an assignment to give Moses, then surely the word of God would have been powerful enough to convince Moses of the importance of his calling. God knew why He met Moses thus. Surely such an encounter was necessary, in order to impart to Moses an unforgettable experience. How enduring this experience was is proved by the words of Moses which he spoke shortly before his death: "The good will of him that dwelt in the bush" (Deut. 33:16).
Thus all men of God have had their encounter with God over something seen. If God employed the natural gifts of men in order to come near to them, then here the way can be pointed out to the one who cares for souls, in order that he may attain to better and more effective pastoral work.
In pastoral work we have to deal with people who through their philosophy of life and relationship to life have received a certain life stamp. Each soul wears its own face, although each face carries the typical marks of a human face. To these marks belong mouth, nose, eyes, ears, chin, forehead, and cheeks. And yet the faces of people are very different. This variety belongs to the endless wisdom and creative power of God. In addition God gave mankind capabilities which, known or unknown, work from the inside outward. People become red when they are embarrassed. At a sudden fright all color drains out of the face. The eyes of a person can be calm and controlled, and they can also betray insecurity and unsteadiness. The list of these observations is endless. Professional people have written at length on this subject. It does not lie within the framework of this discussion to enumerate all these forms of appearance, but merely to point out that the minister must have an alert eye. When he preaches the gospel in the family circle, when he speaks to an audience in public evangelism, then he should be not only a master of the Word but also an ' expert on humanity, who thereby can bring the Word to the soul at the right time. For this is the purpose of his holy calling. He is to bring the message of God to the soul, that men and women may see and hear, and that from their faces "the glory of the Lord" may shine. Thus they will be "changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2 Cor. 3:18).
