Digging Deeper – See People the Way Jesus Sees Them

Simon had already looked at the woman, but Jesus wanted him to look again. Simon had seen her reputation and her past. Jesus saw the person standing in front of Him and what was happening in her heart. There is something powerful about Jesus saying to Simon, “Look at this woman.” Simon had looked at her without really seeing her. He had already decided what kind of person she was, and once he put her in that category, he didn’t need to know anything else about her.

We can do the same thing. We reduce people to their worst decision, their political position, their addiction, their divorce, their reputation, or some other label. Once we have decided what kind of person someone is, it becomes easier to dismiss them.

Jesus consistently saw more. Matthew 9:36 (NLT) says, “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” Jesus saw broken people and moved toward them with compassion. Simon saw brokenness and used it as a reason to stand at a distance.

Imagine riding on a subway with a father and his young children. The children are loud, restless, and disturbing everyone around them, while the father seems completely disengaged. After a while, another passenger becomes frustrated and asks the father if he can do something about his children. The father seems to suddenly become aware of what is happening. He apologizes and explains that they have just left the hospital where the children’s mother died. He quietly admits he doesn’t know how to handle what happened, and apparently neither do they.

Knowing more of their story immediately changes the way you see them. The children’s behavior has not changed, but your response probably has. We rarely know everything another person is carrying. Remembering that should make us slower to judge and quicker to show compassion. Jesus knew everything about the woman in Simon’s house, including her past, and He still treated her as someone worth seeing and loving.

Reflection Questions

1. Is there someone you have reduced to a label instead of seeing as a person Jesus loves?
2. Are you more likely to respond to broken people with criticism or compassion?
3. How does remembering your own story change the way you see someone else’s?
4. Ask God to help you see one difficult person through Jesus’ eyes today.