The ancient Egyptians, Romans, and Greeks were quite fond of mirrors and often manufactured mirrors from polished copper and bronze. Glass mirrors were first produced during the third century a.d. and were quite common in Egypt, Gaul, Germany, and Asia. The invention of glassblowing methods during the 14th century led to the discovery of convex mirrors, which increased the popularity of glass mirrors.

Chances are you looked in a mirror today, maybe to see how much last night’s sleep made you resemble Shrek. Perhaps it was on lunch break to check that nothing was dangling from your nose or the piece of lettuce had vacated your gums. Mirrors are everywhere, and they come in all shapes and sizes. I’m fond of any mirror that makes me look a few pounds thinner. 

In his catechism, the reformer Martin Luther said that God’s law can serve as a mirror to show us our sins. We see characters in the Bible who showed their flaws even though they tried to hide them. Yes, even pillars of faith like David needed to have his sinful reflection shown to him by God’s prophet Nathan (see 2 Samuel 12:7). So do we. 

Friends, we fall short, we need a Savior, and we have one: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10).

Now when you and I look in the mirror, we see children of God.