Who do you see?

Each day each of us sees and interacts with so many people. There are family members, co-workers, church families, and friends that we see along with scores of strangers we may never meet again. Hundreds of people cross our paths daily. Some we know and love dearly, some we don't know at all. Some we meet for the first time and perhaps a friendship develops. Some of those we meet are the so-called "beautiful" people and we seem attracted them. Some we meet may have an illness, a deformity or perhaps we know something unpleasant about their lives. Who do you see as you go through your day? Each one of us sees another and then observations and opinions begin to form....good and bad.

My momma raised us to never make fun of or taunt others for any reason. This helped to instill in me a love for those who are hurting, the underdogs, those different from me. Even so, I confess, there are times I have pre-judged another by what my eyes have seen or my ears have heard. What if we truly followed the example of Jesus? Who did He see as He looked out on the masses?

Jesus called out to Levi to follow Him. He even had dinner in Levi's home. (Mark 2:12-17) Who did He see? Everyone else saw a vile tax collector. No one wanted anything to do with him. Was he a sinner? Yes. But who did Jesus see?

A man with leprosy came and knelt before Jesus seeking healing. (Matthew 8:1-4) This was an unclean man, an outcast, a man no one wanted to touch or even look at. Who did Jesus see?

A woman who was caught in the act of adultery was brought before Jesus. (John 8:1-11) This woman deserved death for her sin. Who did Jesus see?

This is just a tiny example of the many that came across the path of Jesus while He walked on earth. Jesus saw something with His eyes that you and I need to see as well. Jesus looked beyond the flesh of man to the soul within. We may not be able to see exactly what Jesus sees but we need to begin to put on our "biblical glasses," begin to see others through the eyes of our Lord. Even those we think are beyond grace and mercy because that isn't what the Lord sees. He sees beyond the beauty, the illness, the sin, the ugliness and says "just wait and see what I can do with this life."

Can you imagine if each of us put on those "biblical glasses" and took the time to really see those who cross our paths??? What if we took the time to look beyond the outer shell and saw a man, woman or child in need of God's grace and mercy? 

        

Who do you see when you look at me?

Mary Ann

MaryAnn and John Kiernan have been married for 35 years, have 2 grown/married sons and are the proud grandparents of two grandsons. She serves at America's KESWICK as a Biblical Counselor and also as Intake Coordinator for the Colony of Mercy. Her life verse is Romans 8:28.