SEEING THROUGH THE EYES OF JESUS
A BURGLAR STALKED the neighborhood watching for homes left unguarded by people leaving for vacation. He watched as a family loaded their suitcases into their car and departed. He waited until dark and then approached the front door and rang the bell. There was no answer. The burglar neatly picked the lock and let himself in. He called into the darkness, “Is anybody home?” He was stunned when he heard a voice in reply, “I see you, and Jesus sees you.” Terrified, the burglar called out, “Who’s there?” Again the voice came back, “I see you, and Jesus sees you.” The burglar switched on his flashlight and aimed it in the direction of the voice. He was instantly relieved when his light revealed a caged parrot reciting the refrain, “I see you, and Jesus sees you.” The burglar laughed out loud and switched on the lights. Then he saw it. Beneath the parrot’s cage was a huge Doberman pinscher. Then the parrot said, “Attack, Jesus, attack!”
Joking aside, the real Jesus does see us in everyday life and we need to see like him!
We Need To Look Closer And More Carefully To See The Things In Life We Normally Don’t See.
The 19th-century painter Joseph Turner, was asked a simple question by an interested woman once while he was painting, "Why do you put such extravagant colors into your pictures? I never see anything like them in nature."
"Don’t you wish you did, Madam?" he said.
1st Point: He saw them, even if she did not.
2nd Point: We see what we choose to see many times
Matt 9:35-37 NIV
35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.
Just what does Jesus see?
Jesus sees faces and lives and situations and struggles and hurts.
You know that every kind of person had to be in that crowd of thousands:
Proud people, broken people, living disasters, predators, addicts, workaholics, wife-beaters, adulterers, gay people, tax-evaders, cheaters, self-righteous church people, embezzlers, blackmailers, hypocrites, whores, liars, thieves – you name it – you – me.
Unlike us, Jesus knows all – He sees things – entire lives –consuming struggles – heartaches – He hears devastating conversations – He knows our hopes – dreams – family failures –relational strains – deep, dark secrets – Everything!
And what does He do?
1. He has compassion. Rather than judge,
2. He teaches – rather than condemn
3. He provides.
4. He sees past their’ sins’ and straight to their condition
The driving force in this story is the heart of Jesus –
1. He hears your cries,
2. He knows your troubles.
3. He sees and he cares
How Jesus sees me.
MERCY SAW ME
by Craig Nelson
The years had left scars,
And the scars have left pain,
How could he recognize me,
For I wasn’t the same;
I knew I should pay and I knew the price,
For justice and law had demanded my life.
O but his tender heart heard my desperate cry,
And he saw all my past through merciful eyes!
Beautiful, that’s how mercy saw me,
For I was broken and so lost;
Mercy looked at all my faults.
Justice of God saw what I had done,
But mercy saw me through the Son;
Not what I was but what I could be,
That’s how mercy saw me!
For sin had stolen all my dignity,
And all my self esteem;
But I was made brand new again,
When mercy looked at me.
Beautiful, that’s how mercy saw me,
For I was broken and so lost;
Mercy looked at all my faults.
Justice of God saw what I had done,
But mercy saw me through the Son;
Not what I was but what I could be,
That’s how mercy saw me!
Not what I was but what I could be,
That’s how mercy saw me!
That’s how mercy saw me!
Matthew 9:35-36 (KJV)
And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.
1. In MT 2:4, I would have seen a paralyzed man, while Jesus saw the faith of those who lowered him into the room. I would have seen a man in need of physical healing. Jesus saw a man desiring to have his sins forgiven. He saw the unspoken repentance of the paralytic.
2. In verses 3 and 4, I would not have noticed anything about the scribes, but Jesus ’saw’ their evil thoughts.
3. In verse 9, I would have seen a political traitor to my people, but Jesus saw a new disciple. (Matthew)
4. In verses 10 through 13, I would have seen what the Pharisees saw: Jesus eating with a bunch of sinners. Jesus saw them as spiritually sick, in need of healing, and was mercifully leading them to repentance.
5. In verses 20 to 22, I would have seen an unclean woman brush up against my master. Jesus saw her secret sickness, and her faith to be made well (i.e. the touch of faith, not the casual touch of everyone else)
6. In verses 23 through 25, I’d have seen a dead girl. Jesus saw her as asleep.
7. In verse 36, I would have seen the crowds harassing my master, and hoping they would go away so I could spend some ’quality time’ with Him. Jesus saw them as harassed and scattered sheep and was moved with compassion towards them.
Breaking out of Self-Focus
We need to break out of our narrow, self-contained, self-oriented worlds and get involved with the people around us. That sounds simple, but we all have ways that we are self-oriented and self-protective in our lifestyles.
Luke 7:44-50 NIV
44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven — for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little." 48 Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." 49 The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" 50 Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."
The sight before Simon’s eyes was too much to take in.
A notorious sinful woman was anointing Jesus with oil. Simon the Pharisee could not help but pass judgment both on Christ and the woman.
Jesus’ pointed question revealed Simon’s self-righteous spirit. “Do you see this woman?” Practically, He said, “Are we looking at the same woman?” and then gave a list of reasons why the sinful woman was actually in a better position spiritually than Simon!
Simon had all the religious rules down, but the sinful woman had come to Christ in true worship and devotion. Jesus saw her heart.
We cannot see into people’s hearts. But having eyes like Jesus will at least cause us to not judge others based solely upon what they wear or where they’ve been or what they’ve done.
Today Christ asks us, “Do you see that person the way I do? Do you realize that I died for them too?” When you see a neighbor trapped in a life of sin, what is your reaction? Does your heart fill with compassion because they are like “sheep without a shepherd” as did Jesus’ heart?
As followers of Christ, our prayer should be that He would give us His eyes, those eyes that pierce through the hardened heart, eyes that see the good beyond the sin’s ugly stain, eyes that see the life broken and ruined by iniquity and the restoration brought by an ugly cross. Ultimately, it’s the cross of Christ that shifts our focus and changes our vision.
What Stops Us Form Seeing
John Bradford (1510 - 1555) was an English Reformer and martyr best remembered for his utterance, "’There, but for the grace of God, goes John Bradford." The words were uttered by Bradford while imprisoned in the Tower of London, when he saw a criminal on his way to execution.
Self Righteousness
"’There, but for the grace of God, goes ______________."
Looking for sin so to justify ourselves
"’There, but for the grace of God, goes ______________."
Self Seeking
"’There, but for the grace of God, goes ______________."
Spiritual Immaturity
"’There, but for the grace of God, goes ______________."
Cold and Uncaring
"’There, but for the grace of God, goes ______________."
Matthew 9:37-38 (KJV)
Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.
Do I see those around me as burdened or just a burden?
Do I see them as ’white unto harvest’?
Do I have a heart of compassion as Jesus wants me to?
When people are in Christ, they are totally new!
With this newness comes a new ability to see others through the eyes of Jesus.
It isn’t acceptable for the Church to be idle or indifferent in a broken world.
It isn’t good enough for the Church to spout what is true but not live it.
It isn’t good enough for the Church to diagnose the world’s ills and then send people home to find something to eat.
It isn’t good enough to think we are helpful when we aren’t willing to lift a finger out of care for the condition of their world.
Jesus, help my eyes to see - unknown
Jesus, help my eyes to see
All the good Thou sendest me.
Jesus, help my ears to hear
Calls for help from far and near.
Jesus, help my feet to go
In the way that Thou wilt show.
Jesus, help my hands to do
All things loving, kind, and true.
Jesus, may I helpful be,
Growing every day like Thee. Amen.
How does Jesus See You?
