Seeing Through The Eyes Of Jesus

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.