When Jesus Sees

From an early age, we're taught to look away from those who are different. "Don't share," we're told. "It's rude!" Often people with disabilities make us uncomfortable, so we learn to pretend we don't notice that someone has a deformity or scars or walks with a limp or moves around in a chair. Unfortunately, we sometimes take it one step further and pretend we don't see the person at all.
   The women in the synagogue had spend 18 years being overlooked. She was bent over like a question mark, staring at the ground and her own two feet. She couldn't see the faces behind the words, but she knew the tones, the jokes and whispers. She could hear people hurrying past and skirting around her. And while plenty of people looked at her, many probably looks the other way. Only one truly saw her.
   When Jesus say her, he didn't turn away. He didn't pretend not to see her. Instead, he spoke to her and touched her. She was set free from her infirmity. Her 18 years of living with a crooked body dropped away, and she stood straight and tall, seeing Jesus face-to-face.
   In that compassionate interaction, Jesus had an encounter with someone the world tends to overlook. He showed us that, first of all, we need to see others-to look at them and acknowledge their presence as God's creation, precious in his sight. When we look into their eyes, we'll see a human being and not a deformity disability or limitation.
   Second, we need to speak to that person as we would anyone. Conversing normally shows that we're not intimidated by the person's disability. Even if we're just talking about the weather, we are expressing our interest in the other person's words and opinions.
   Third, we need to be willing to touch them if it's appropriate. Human touch is a mysterious powerful tool that communicates worth and significance through something as simple as a hand shake, a touch on the shoulder or a hug.
   Everyone needs to know that they are valued. When we begin to see others as Jesus does-as human beings with value and significance-we might become the window through which they can see Jesus for themselves.
-Women's Devotional Bible 

I don't remember my full life from the age 24 down from the cause of my 11yrs of seizures, which is hard. But my mother has told me some crazy stories. I had 2 seizures, 3 the most, every day. I couldn't walk around without somebody holdin' on to my arm. If I seized, I would fall straight back and wet my pants while shakin' everywhere.
It's even happened in wal-mart one time when I was with my aunts. Scared them like crazy & people were starrin' me down the whole time. I hated it.
But the normal me was a girl who loved Jesus & served him abundantly. They did not see that with my seizures goin on cause they looked at the negative side of me. That's not what we're to do with others. We're to look deep into their hearts & if somethin' doesn't look right, try to help them. -Joy

[1 Samuel 16:6-7]
6 When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, “Surely this is the Lord’s anointed!”

7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

[2 Samuel 9:1-13]

1 One day David asked, “Is anyone in Saul’s family still alive—anyone to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”  

2 He summoned a man named Ziba, who had been one of Saul’s servants. “Are you Ziba?” the king asked.

“Yes sir, I am,” Ziba replied.

3 The king then asked him, “Is anyone still alive from Saul’s family? If so, I want to show God’s kindness to them.”

Ziba replied, “Yes, one of Jonathan’s sons is still alive. He is crippled in both feet.”

4 “Where is he?” the king asked.

“In Lo-debar,” Ziba told him, “at the home of Makir son of Ammiel.”

5 So David sent for him and brought him from Makir’s home. 

6 His name was Mephibosheth; he was Jonathan’s son and Saul’s grandson. When he came to David, he bowed low to the ground in deep respect. David said, “Greetings, Mephibosheth.”

Mephibosheth replied, “I am your servant.”

7 “Don’t be afraid!” David said. “I intend to show kindness to you because of my promise to your father, Jonathan. I will give you all the property that once belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will eat here with me at the king’s table!”

8 Mephibosheth bowed respectfully and exclaimed, “Who is your servant, that you should show such kindness to a dead dog like me?”

9 Then the king summoned Saul’s servant Ziba and said, “I have given your master’s grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family.  

10 You and your sons and servants are to farm the land for him to produce food for your master’s household. But Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, will eat here at my table.” (Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)

11 Ziba replied, “Yes, my lord the king; I am your servant, and I will do all that you have commanded.” And from that time on, Mephibosheth ate regularly at David’s table, like one of the king’s own sons.

12 Mephibosheth had a young son named Mica. From then on, all the members of Ziba’s household were Mephibosheth’s servants.  

13 And Mephibosheth, who was crippled in both feet, lived in Jerusalem and ate regularly at the king’s table.

[2 Corinthians 4:16-18]

16 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day.  

17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!  

18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.