Seeing Through the Eyes of God
June 16th, 2009


How do you see things?


"God also opened my eyes even more to homelessness yesterday. Instead of
buying lunch, we packed a picnic and spent about 45 minutes in Smith Park.
We were able to share lunch with a couple of our street friends. I don’t
know their names but I have seen them at the OC. We also bumped into Gerry
outside One Jackson Place. We had a nice conversation with him and it was
a sweet reunion between friends for he and Ron. However, Gerry followed us
into One Jackson Place and you could see the guard’s skin crawl and he did
not like Gerry being in that building and the looks we got b/c we were
having a normal conversation with Gerry was an eye opener. Some people do
not look at the homeless as humans and it is very sad. I wish that
everyone could see Gerry with the eyes of God!"


Tosha Dickens reflecting on an experience in downtown Jackson on 6/15/2009


What does it mean to see others through the eyes of God?


Paul once saw people to persecute through his eyes, but after being blinded
on trip to Damascus, he started seeing people through God’s eyes.


John once with great zeal was ready to bring fire down upon an unrepentant
and rejecting Samaritan village, but his heart was changed by Christ and
his vision followed suit. John went on to be known as the "Apostle of Love"
and made a Samaritan woman with a checkered past a very unlikely hero in
her encounter with Jesus at Jacob’s well. John saw people differently as a
result of his heart change.


Peter had once grabbed his sword and sliced off the ear of Malchus the
servant of the High Priest. His eyes were ready for battle, but Jesus
repaired the damage. Eventually, Peter would set his sword aside as he had
his fishing net and preach a sermon filled with the Holy Spirit. His
experiences and the Spirit changed his vision.


James, the brother of John, once sought the high seat of greatness and high
rank in the kingdom of God. Jesus told him of a different kind of cup; a
cup of suffering. James would drink of that cup and go on to be the first
martyr of the twelve. No doubt, Herod wanted to execute a leader in the
group and early church history details James had traveled as far as Spain
in a short time. James saw greatness only through the eyes of Christ.


We read these biblical accounts of how folks change to see differently and
we struggle ourselves. Tosha has only scratched the surface of a larger
challenge that sways everyone whether they are guarding a downtown office
building or not. We are born with imperfect eyes. We form perceptions
through these natural eyes and those perceptions govern out thought process
which in turn, directs our heart.


Jesus taught the following:


This is why I speak to them in parables: Though seeing, they do not
see, though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled
the prophecy of Isaiah; you will be ever hearing but never
understanding, you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this
people’s heart has become calloused, they hardly hear with their ears, and
they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would
heal them. Matthew 13:13-15