Physical Neutrality

Written By Daniel Gehman

This morning, a verse from Isaiah caught and held my attention; it’s 53:2b, which is:

“He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.”

I launched into a meditation on it, contemplating how Jesus in his original human manifestation would not appeal to our (my) vanity.  It’s saying that Jesus was (or would be, as it is prophetic) no Joseph, David, or Absalom, men noted in the scriptures for their pleasant physical appearances. Jesus was no “matinee idol,” able to melt our hearts and attract us to follow him by his looks alone. For me and probably a host of others, this is a refreshing observation.

Our expectations for such a seminal figure might be a stunning appearance, charisma, and approachability. One commentator I consulted for a deeper understanding suggested:

“The real desire of most men is for something much more pungent and dashing than Jesus’ meek  wisdom and stainless purity, which breeds in them ennui rather than longing.”

(Barnes’ Notes on the Bible regarding Isaiah 53:2b.)

Jesus, ever the counter-intuitive.

Verse 3 emphasizes he was “despised,” mentioning it twice, “like one from whom people hide their faces.” Yet we who follow him haven’t turned away; we’ve been drawn by something quite beyond appearance, and I don’t even have to speculate on what it is; that thing is love.

“We love because he first loved us.”  1 John 4:19

Love is the greatest “tractor beam” ever and dramatically transcends physical appearance. Love led Jesus to become a human and endure the cross; love raised him from the grave and seated him at the right hand of God in unimaginable glory and splendor. He is beautiful today, I assure you.  For this reason, David can offer this plaintive prayer:

“One thing I ask of the LORD;

      This only do I seek,

That I may dwell in the house of the LORD

    All the days of my life,

    To gaze on the beauty of the LORD

    And to seek him in his temple.”  Psalm 27:4

While this verse is packed with metaphors, I wanted to examine the meaning of “beauty” in the original language. The Hebrew word has many possible interpretations, but includes “agreeableness, delight, suitableness, splendor, or grace.”  What a picture this gives us of the Lord. A sight one might truly choose to gaze upon in wonder for eternity!

To bring this home, in our contemporary context, the “temple” is the church—God’s chosen ones who gather to worship him (Ephesians 2:19-22) and build one another up.  

“The Christian sanctuary... is the place where, if anywhere on earth, we may hope to have our minds enlightened; our perplexities removed; our hearts comforted and sanctified, by right views of God.”

(Barnes Notes on the Bible on Psalm 27:4)

In this context, even in our brokenness, we are certainly able to “gaze on the beauty of the Lord” in the most righteous way possible.

Daniel Gehman

Daniel has followed Jesus since 1979, has been married to Theresa for thirty-seven years, and recently completed his Master's Degree in Theology. He has served for many years in relatively conservative evangelical churches, including two terms as elder at his current church. Daniel identifies as same-sex attracted, and feels a calling to minister to LGBTQ+ persons in the church. He resides in Orange, California and is 65.

“My journey regarding the intersection of faith and sexuality began the very moment I decided to follow Jesus—which happened immediately after my first sexual experience with another man, my high school best friend. I never questioned the traditional Christian sexual ethic, even though I knew my desires were contrary to God’s perfect design. And yet, in His mercy, God has faithfully led me for nearly 50 years in devotion to Him, even as my fundamental “aesthetic orientation” has not changed.

I began writing as a hobby in 2021, took a break while finishing seminary, and picked it back up after graduation. I believe I’ve been given a gift for storytelling, and I hope my essays can offer hope, encouragement, and deeper understanding to those who might do me the honor of reading them. People have told me I’m a “deep thinker,” which I take as a great compliment—and I think that reflects how I’ve been shaped to seek the deeper meaning of things. I hold a deep appreciation for self-awareness and see it as essential to spiritual growth.

In my writing for Revoice’s Our Voices Blog, I return often to themes of self-examination, vulnerability, and the pursuit of spiritual maturity. I enjoy engaging directly with Scripture in my essays, looking at how biblical truths apply not only to my life but also to the lives of those around me.” — Daniel

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