Seeing Hearts Not Faces

"When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd."
Matthew 9:36 (NIV)

What goes through your mind when you're trapped in traffic or trying to get through a busy airport? Be honest. Most of us see inconveniences, obstacles, and people who are just slowing us down.

But that’s not what Jesus sees. When He looks at a crowd, He doesn't feel claustrophobic. He feels compassionate. The great preacher Charles Spurgeon once said, "If you would sum up the whole character of Christ in reference to ourselves, it might be gathered into this one sentence: 'He was moved with compassion.'"

Jesus doesn't just see hands or heads, He sees hearts. He looks past their faces and sees their fears. He looks beyond their dress and sees their despair. He looks past their appearance and sees their lostness.

The people Jesus encounters are "harassed"—a word that literally means "to skin an animal." Life has cut them to the quick. They look fine on the outside, but they're battered, bruised, and worn out on the inside. They're also "helpless," which means flat on their back, unable to get up. Like sheep that have fallen over and can't right themselves, they're stuck.

You work with people like this every day. You live next door to them. You encounter them at the grocery store. They may look fine on the surface, but underneath, they're struggling with difficult marriages, financial concerns, health scares, or overwhelming loneliness.

When you start seeing people the way Jesus sees them, recognizing their hidden hurts and heartaches, everything changes. That difficult coworker might be dealing with an aging parent. That unfriendly neighbor could be fighting depression. That impatient person in line might have just received devastating news.

Here's your assignment for today: Choose one person you often feel frustrated or annoyed with. Before you interact with them, pray this prayer: 'Jesus, help me see this person the way You see them.' Then look for one way to show them unexpected kindness. 

Prayer: Lord, I praise You for Your compassion. Give me Your eyes to see people as they really are, and not just their outward appearance, but their inward condition. Help me look past the surface and recognize the hurts and struggles that others carry. Fill my heart with Your compassion for those who are harassed and helpless. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.