Nov 20, 2015 Words of Grace – Seeing People with New Eyes
What do you see when you look at people?
Do you see differences that make you angry or uncomfortable? Demands that make you want to turn and walk the other way? Obstacles to your agenda for the day? A personal threat? Maybe you see the means to your own end.
Oh, how we need new eyes.
One day Jesus was tired and needed rest. He didn’t have enough time to eat because so many people were asking for his attention. When we went away with his disciples, the crowd of people followed him, caught up with him, and asked for more. Jesus had every reason to be exasperated and to see in this crowd more demands, problems, expectations, and inconveniences than he could handle.
Instead, “he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd” (Mark 6:34).
Jesus saw the people who were standing in front of him with eyes focused by purpose, love, and compassion. His purpose was to glorify God and shepherd the people by dying for their sins and rising for their life. He loved them because they were humans created in God’s image. He had compassion on them because they were in need.
We are these people. We know God, are forgiven of our sins, and have eternal life because Jesus looked on us with compassion and called us to repentance and faith.
Jesus is our Shepherd. We follow him. Now we need his eyes to see people as he did.
Seeing people with new eyes is a requirement for carrying out the great commission to preach the gospel to the world. The desire for God’s glory and genuine love for others sharpens our focus to see like Jesus did. Compassion changes how we look at people.
Join us Sunday as we worship Christ, our compassionate Shepherd. Begin praying now that God will prepare us to hear his word so we can see with new eyes.
– Scott