Looking but not seeing

Somewhere in time, this week, I have been on vacation.  I will be home tomorrow, but it was nice to sit on the beach and look out at the ocean, even if it was only for a few days.  I’m a people watcher and I had fun watching children play in the water.  One little boy, with a droopy diaper inside his shorts, kept trying to escape up the stairs into the street.  He kept his grandfather hoping as he tried to keep the boy safe. 

It made me wonder if I really look at people in order to see them, or do I just watch as a disinterested third party.  To be honest, I just watch.  When Jesus walked the earth, he really saw people.  He saw into their heart with its hurt and confusion and he offered hope.

Jesus was traveling one day and he went into an area called Gerasenes which was directly across from Galilee.  In this region lived a crazy man.  He lived in the cemetery, he didn’t bath, and his cloths were torn. He had convulsions that were so hard, he would end up in a pit or hurting himself in other ways.  The town’s people tried to care, they bound him with chains, but he broke them.  They tried placing him under guard, but it was no use, he escaped. It was hard to carry on a coherent conversation with him.

I probably would have looked at him and walked as far as I could the other way.  Jesus doesn’t, he stops and he talks to the wild man.

Luke 37: 27 – 28 (The Message Bible) “What business do you have messing with me? You’re Jesus, Son of the High God, but don’t give me a hard time. (The man said this because Jesus had started to order the unclean spirit out of him.)”

Jesus saw immediately what the problem was.  He saw this man was tormented. He didn’t shy away from the wild behavior.  He immediately began to cast the unclean spirit out of the man.  The spirit even tried to negotiate with Jesus, but in the end it was gone.  The man was sane and sitting there able to converse in a coherent manner.  He asked to stay with Jesus, but Jesus told him to go back to his people and be a witness for the power of God instead.  You would think the people in the area would be thrilled to have God in their presence.  No, it was too much change, to fast, they asked him to leave. 

I know that it is hard, as you go through each day, hurrying from place to place. It’s hard to take the time to really see people.  My plan is when I’m at church especially, to really see people.  I don’t have to hurry through, I can notice the visitor. I can try and see their need.  Once I get really good at that, I can start really seeing people in other locations as well.

Casting Crowns Does Anybody Hear Her (Official Music Video) from michaelscott1 on GodTube.