What Jesus Sees
For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.
1 Samuel 16:7
This past Sunday, Dale Gustafson taught on Luke 7:36-50. In this story, there is a poignant moment where Jesus asks Simon the Pharisee, “Do you see this woman?” Of course Simon saw her, but with eyes of judgment. The kind of seeing Jesus does is divine–it looks to the heart. We see this over and over in the Biblical narrative. This week we explore the way Jesus also sees each of us beyond just our appearance and actions as He did in 1 Samuel 16:7 with David to help our children know that God always sees in a deep and loving way.
Devotion: What Jesus Sees
Gather your family and talk over how it can be easy to see a person and then feel like you know who he or she is a little bit. Let’s do something fun with this idea: Take a few minutes to look through photos of people (you can use a site like Humans of New York or something similar) and wonder about who each person might be. Make it fun, invent a short story about where they live or what they do each day.
When you are done, wonder with your children some more: How do you know what each person is really like? Can you tell just by looking at a picture? What if you talked with each person for a few minutes? Would you then know enough about that person to know them well? Maybe but it probably takes more to get to know a person.
How do you think God sees each person? Do you think He looks at the clothes they wear or the house they live in? No, the Bible tells us that God looks to the heart. Read 1 Samuel 16:7 together: “For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”
So, let’s start here: find a mirror (or use a camera in selfie mode). Have each person in your family look at himself or herself and observe, then speak out what you see: eye color, face shape, freckles, long hairs, clothes you are wearing, etc. Now, look again and ask God this: “God, what do you see in me?” Allow each person to listen and share what God is saying. If your children struggle with this, listen with them and you can share what you believe God is showing you. Take this opportunity to speak life and blessing over each person! Let each person have a turn.
This, then is how God sees each person–not based on what you can see in a picture, but God sees each person as His wonderful creation and beloved child. Every time you see yourself, remember that Jesus sees you with that same kind of love and let it help you love others in the same way.