Modern Masks We Wear; A Deeper Look
In Mark 10:17–31, a rich young man approached Jesus with confidence, good will, and social status.
But when Jesus invited him to surrender his wealth and follow Him, the young man walked away feeling sad.
Why? Because his wealth wasn’t just about money—it was also his mask.
It was an identity he had carefully created to feel secure, admired, and righteous.
He would have spent his whole life developing this protective mask to cover his true identity,
and he had learnt to project his mask with perfection into the world around him.
Today, we too wear different masks.
They may not be about money or property, but they serve the same purpose;
they likewise protect us from feeling vulnerable and project a version of ourselves we think the world will accept.
For example:
The Career Mask; ‘I am what I do’
We define ourselves by our job titles, our promotions, and our productivity.
We feel valuable when we’re busy, successful, or indispensable.
But when retirement comes, or redundancy strikes, or exhaustion takes over—who are we then?
This mask whispers: If I’m not achieving, I’m not enough.
The Intellectual or Theological Mask; ‘I am what I know’
We pride ourselves on being right—about politics, theology, or culture.
We use knowledge as a kind of armour, and certainty as our identity.
But sometimes, our need to be correct keeps us from being kind.
This mask whispers: If I’m not the most intelligent person in the room, I’m invisible.
The ‘Nice’ Mask; ‘I am how I serve others’
We say yes to everything. We smile through exhaustion. We avoid conflict.
We’re praised for being ever helpful, agreeable, and selfless.
But inside, we may feel unseen, resentful, or stretched to breaking point.
This mask whispers: If I stop pleasing, I’ll stop mattering.
The Strong Mask; ‘I am how I cope’
We seem to be strong, independent, and unbothered.
We don’t cry. We don’t ask for help. We carry burdens silently.
But strength without vulnerability becomes isolation.
This mask whispers: If I show weakness, I’ll lose respect.
But Jesus Offers a Mirror, Not a Spotlight
He doesn’t shame the rich man. He loves him.
He invites him to step out from behind the mask and follow Him – not as a rich man, but as a disciple.
And that invitation is offered to us today too.
But the rich young man couldn’t imagine being loved without his wealth.
Although God knows us all inside out, and sees way beyond these masks.
He sees past the face we show to others and He loves us.
The unfiltered, unfinished, unguarded us.
He loves us as we are. As He made us to be.
Conclusion; The Unmasked Life
People from all walks of life do it to a certain extent – live behind masks.
But we were not born like this – we have been conditioned, by the ways of the world, to do it.
Because masks create a protective barrier around us.
They sadly also get in the way of our relationship with Christ – as well as each other.
The rich man walked away when Jesus asked him to drop his mask. But we don’t have to.
We can choose the unmasked life — the life of hope, trust, joy we had as innocent children, before we created our masks.
Because Jesus said; ‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.’ Matthew 18:3
When he said that he didn’t mean for us to become childish—rather childlike.
Meaning we need to shed our self made masks, our ego, and embrace vulnerability.
To approach God with a pure-hearted sincerity.
It’s a radical call Jesus made to the wealthy man, and to us today too.
To unlearn the pride and self-reliance that adulthood often teaches.
Because when Jesus said to the rich man; ‘Come, follow me.’
He meant not from behind his mask. Not with certain conditions.
Just him (and today us) —fully known, fully loved, fully free.
