Tuesday, October 20, 2015

How Does Jesus See You?

     A few years ago I heard someone use a very profound illustration.  It went something like this.  Close your eyes and imagine that Jesus and you are sitting in a room together, face to face, knee to knee.  Look at His face.  What expression is on His face?  I had people write down their reactions to that little example and the results were astounding.  Most said He was disappointed or sad.
     I would hate for us to go through life in such a way believing that Jesus has a disappointed look on His face as He looks at us.  You see, we can fix ourselves up, dress nicely, wear make-up (females only please!!), get our hair styled and look really good.  God told us long ago that isn't important to Him.
     The Israelites used that measure once when selecting a king.  Saul was handsome, head and shoulders taller than anyone else.  He looked like a king!  The last straw came when he disobeyed God when it came to the Amalekites.  It was after this that God sent Samuel out to find a new king.  He looked at Jesse's sons and they looked regal.  But God told Samuel, "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at.  Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."  I Samuel 16:7b
     With that being said, what did Jesus look for in someone?  In John 4 He met a woman who had had five, count them, five husbands and was living with a guy who wasn't her husband.  Can you imagine if this woman walked into our assembly today?  We certainly wouldn't pick her to lead the women's ministry.  But Jesus saw her heart and He used her.  What about in John 8 when a woman caught in the act of adultery was brought to Him.  Caught, which means she probably wasn't wearing much, if anything.  Now, Jesus didn't say, "Oh, you're fine."  He did say that He didn't condemn her.  Then He told her to go and don't sin anymore.
     In Mark 10 a rich young man comes to Jesus and asks what he can do to inherit eternal life.  The Scripture says He looked at the young man and loved him.  Why did He love Him?  I think He was looking at His heart.  The young man had a choice and He chose to stay with his possessions rather than with Jesus.  On the other hand, in Matthew 23, Jesus lays out a lot of "Woe to you's."  It was the Pharisees and the teachers of the law.  It was the ones who had no intention of following Jesus.  They were only in it for the prestige or the political clout they could maintain.  Jesus saw their hearts and condemned them greatly.
     So back to the original question.  How does Jesus see you?  It depends.  It depends on your heart.  And don't think you can pull something on Him.  Psalm 139 tells us that even before a word is on our tongue, God knows it.  He knows our thoughts, our motives, our very being.  My prayer for us to today is found at the end of this great chapter.  Heed and pray these words:

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
   test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
   and lead me in the way everlasting.  Psalm 139:23, 24

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