The NIV 365 Day Devotional
When Jesus Sees
From an early age, we’re taught to look away from those who are different. “Don’t stare,” 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 woman in the synagogue had spent 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 the whispers. She could hear people hurrying past and skirting around her. And while plenty of people looked at her, many probably looked the other way. Only one truly saw her.
When Jesus saw 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 handshake, 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.
Reflection
- How do you tend to respond to people with disabilities?
- What does Jesus’ example with the woman teach you about relating to others with or without physical disabilities?
- Whom do you need to see as Jesus sees them?
Taken from the NIV Women’s Devotional Bible.