Seeing as God Sees

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Jn 8:12 NIV

When we have the light of life, we can see clearly. Few people are actually blind but different people can look at the same scene and understand it very differently.

For example, three men see a prostitute on the street. One man feels excited and strongly attracted.  
Another man sees a despicable, sinful woman who should burn in hell.
A third man sees a woman who has suffered much, who could have a new life through God's love.

Unfortunately, there are some Christians who think like the second man and condemn the sinful woman, but Jesus was not like that.

In the same chapter of the Gospel of John, we see self-righteous religious men who brought a woman to Jesus. 

The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group. Jn 8:3 NIV

The religious men wanted to stone her and execute her, but Jesus did not see an evil woman, but rather a woman in deep need, a woman who needed his love and salvation. He also saw the terrible injustice and unkindness of the men. Where was the man?

We may already know the story well. Jesus said that the man without sin should hurl the first stone. All the men recognised their own guilt and walked away.

While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples.

When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. Mt 9:10–12 NIV

The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ Lk 7:34 NIV

John Dawson was the leader of Youth With A Mission in Los Angeles. Like Jesus, he did not despise anyone because of their sins. 

John Dawson wanted to lead a man to conversion. This man had a pornography business. John Dawson had breakfast with this man every Wednesday and explained the gospel until he understood everything, but he was not ready to give his life to Jesus.

Then John Dawson received a special insight from God. He saw that this man had the gift from God to share comfort, but porn was only apparent comfort and not truly satisfying.

He told the man that he had the gift of mercy and God wanted to transform his life so that he would provide real comfort. The man was ready to receive this insight from God and he was converted on the spot.   

Are you ready to see with God's eyes?
Are you ready to recognise your own potential through God's eyes?
Are you ready to look at bad people with God's eyes of love?