Who Was That Masked Man?

[HKHaugan]

I’ve always been fascinated with the story of the Lone Ranger. It was one of my favorite radio programs when I was a child. The Lone Ranger had been a Texas Ranger wounded by the Cavendish gang and left to die. He was nursed back to health by a childhood Indian friend named Tonto, his ‘kemosabe (faithful friend).’ His signature marks were his silver bullets, a mask and a horse named Silver. Together he and Tonto decided to be a duo that would bring justice back to the frontier on their own thus his title, ‘Lone Ranger.’ The exciting musical background came from the William Tell Overture.

The typical story line from episode to episode was how evil men would work against a town or family and nothing could be done to help them. The Lone Ranger and Tonto would hear about it and work behind the scene in spite of the fact that nobody trusted masked riders. When the duo was successful and local people had recognized they had solved the problem the couple rode off before personal thanks could be extended. There was always someone in the crowd who asked “Who was that masked man?’ Another voice always chimed in, “You didn’t know? That was the Lone Ranger!” And in the distance you heard hoof beats and his baritone voice rang out, “Hi yo Silver, away!”

If you go back in the Old Testament to Genesis 1:26 you might want to ask the same question. Masked figures appear there. Who was the ‘us’ in “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness…?” Who questioned Adam and Eve in Genesis 3? Then in Genesis 14:18 a ‘forever-priest (Ps.110 and Hebrews7:1)’ appears out of nowhere named Melchizedek, “King of Righteousness.” Still another when Joshua (Chapter 5) meets the commander of the Lord’s army on the road to Jericho. Actually there are many more masked figures throughout the Prophets as in Daniel 7:13-14 and 10:5-6. All of these masks appeared as preparatory for the final question Jesus asks Peter, “Who do you say I am?” Finally all those masks were uncovered and there He was. Jesus. Then He appeared to the two men on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24 opening His identity in the breaking of the bread and immediately disappeared. He was the summary of all the masks that were not to be removed until Jesus revealed Himself as the Savior and Lord of each heart who would receive Him by faith. Then Jesus ‘Hi yo Silvered’ in His Ascension into Heaven to prepare a place for each of the faithful to join Him forever in Heaven.

For us, we know who He is. He has entered our hearts. But all those moments when we got through situations, problems, hopes and fears, there He was maybe in the mask of a doctor, a friend, a mother, a father or moving in His Spirit when we were at the end of our rope, in uncontrollable circumstances or lost in our sin. Perhaps a figure lurking on the pages of Scripture, a figure with whom we could identify, the masks of the best in David, Bathsheba, Absalom, Jacob, Joseph, the Prodigal son, the rich man, the poor widow, the lame, the prostitute, the Mary and Marthas and Lazarus who was raised from the dead. There He is in the Psalms, the letters of Paul and the One knocking on the door in Revelation 3 and the final Conqueror in Revelation 22. “I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see.”

All of this is why John tells us that the “Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth (Jn.1:14).”