When a crippled woman who was bent over terribly, came into the synagogue, Luke’s Gospel chapter 13 records, that “Jesus saw her, …..”.
When you see a stranger, what do you see? When you see someone out of the ordinary what do you perceive? Do you see a person in the way? Do you see a person who you need to keep your distance from? Do you see a person that might be of use to you? Do you see them and wonder how you can meet them?
Jesus looks at people and sees them as people made in the image of God. He sees them and wonders what has happened to make this person so ‘crippled’. He sees each person and has compassion on them.
Mark 6 records that Jesus had just crossed the lake for some peace and quiet and then it says,
When Jesus landed and saw the large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.
Jesus sees people differently than how we see them. He sees them for what they could be, and what God intended for them. He sees them with compassion.
I pray that the Holy Spirit will give us the compassion of Jesus, so we see people the way he does.
