“As Jesus passed on from there, He
saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office” (Matthew 9:9).
Jesus saw a man. The hated Romans
occupying Palestine recruited Jews to collect taxes from other Jews. Tax
collectors made big money because they were authorized to take whatever they
wanted on top of the tax rate. Other Jews and even those of other nations saw a
traitor and a greedy, harsh, devious scum-of-the-earth heel, but Jesus saw a
man. And by seeing him, Jesus connected with him.
Jesus saw not only this man, but He
also saw into his heart. "The Pharisees had judged Matthew according to
his employment, but Jesus saw in this man a heart open for the reception of
truth" (The Desire of Ages, 272).
I would really love to be able to
see into the heart of someone today, to see a man when everyone else sees
something less, maybe even something terrible. Is it possible? Can I be like
Jesus in this way and really connect with someone?
It is possible in every way to resemble Jesus and connect deeply with someone, even with an individual who is unloved by society for whatever reason. God desires to live out His life in us, therefore we ought to let Him lead and guide in every aspect in our lives.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your reply. I wish I could read people's hearts as completely as Jesus did, so I can connect with them in a more focused, effective way.
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