Recently I was speaking with a man whose cartoons are published daily in our city's newspapers. He was recounting his first days in art school. For the initial term he enrolled in a class taught by an artist whose work he had greatly admired. He was anticipating his first day under this great man's tutelage.

On the first day of classes the professor asked his students, "How many of you have your own personal style?" Eager to have the maturity of his craftsmanship recognized by his renown mentor, he along with many students raised their hands indicating the affirmative. The teacher responded, "In the next three months it will be my responsibility to rid you of those styles." The students were perplexed. "For the next three months most of you will regret that you have signed up for this class. Every day we will draw what I put before you. It will be difficult. Many will find it boring."

Day after day for the next three months the students drew as accurately as possible the paper bag that the professor placed on a table before them. The art students were frustrated and bored at first. Some dropped the class, thinking it a waste of time. But in the words of my artist friend, "In those three months this great teacher did not teach us to draw, he taught us to see. It is only when you come to truly see something that you can authentically express it through your personal style."

Jesus is the master teacher. His goal is to teach His followers to see reality as accurately as possible. It requires more than a natural eye. It requires a heart that is alive and receptive to God. Jesus did not just lecture about the kingdom of God, He demonstrated it up close. In fact, He personified it day after day. He did not just teach about God the Father. He said "I am the way, the truth (the reality) and the Life. No man comes to the Father but my me." He said that any access to (or vision of) the Divine is impossible apart from the role of His humanity.

Some of his students just didn't get it. They were tempted to drop out of class. One frustrated student named Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us." Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father."

The truth may be standing before us and yet we are unable to see it. The mystery of godliness is that the Truth about God dwelt in a man. That unique man laid down his life so that we might not just know this truth in our heads but that we might experience it in our hearts.  He came to reconcile us to God that we might see Him as He truly is and then become true artists, expressing Him through the unique personal styles of our humanity.

The Apostle Paul adopted the Master's worthy goal "to make all men see" (Ephesians 3:9). So should we.

Study Christ carefully. Behold Him consistently. You will know the truth. You will see. And the truth will make you free (John 8:32). It will not be enough to be shown the Father. You will be able to know Him intimately through faith in Christ, and then express His life authentically and artistically by the power of His indwelling Spirit. Your life will be His masterpiece (Ephesians 2:10).