Steven A. Bush - July 18, 2021
Seeing Sinners Through Jesus' Eyes
Jesus is invited to dinner by a Pharisee named Simon. During the meal, an uninvited woman shows up and begins to drench Jesus' feet with her tears, wiping them with her hair. Regardless of the translation, it's clear the woman has led an immoral past. Knowing the unspoken disdain of the religious leader who had invited Him, our Lord tells a parable of two men forgiven of debts, one a small sum, the other large. Then Jesus asks the Pharisee which one of the two will love their creditor more. Simon rightly answers, 'the one who was forgiven the greater debt.' Jesus, God the Son, proceeds to forgive the woman of her sins while affirming her act of love towards her Redeemer. The Pharisee sits openly rebuked. It behooves us to remember that Jesus is still in the business of apprehending sinners like this woman. Like us. We see people as they presently are; Jesus sees them as to how He wants to remake them. May our Savior and Lord increasingly give us eyes to see as He sees and to respond to the person before us with compassion, mercy, and love. After all, that's how He looked and responded to each of us...