{"id":2200,"asset_id":2512,"title":"When Jesus Sees - Women's Devotional Bible - Bible Gateway","alias":"when-jesus-sees-women-s-devotional-bible-bible-gateway","introtext":"<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\">When Jesus Sees<\/h2>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">From an early age, we\u2019re taught to look away from those who are different. \u201cDon\u2019t stare,\u201d we\u2019re told. \u201cIt\u2019s rude!\u201d Often people with disabilities make us uncomfortable, so we learn to pretend we don\u2019t notice that someone has a deformity or scars or walks with a limp or moves around in a chair. Unfortunately, we sometimes take it one step further and pretend we don\u2019t see the person at all.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The woman in the synagogue had spent 18 years being overlooked. She was bent over like a question mark, staring at the ground and her own two feet. She couldn\u2019t see the faces behind the words, but she knew the tones, the jokes and the whispers. She could hear people hurrying past and skirting around her. And while plenty of people looked at her, many probably looked the other way. Only one truly saw her.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">When Jesus saw her, he didn\u2019t turn away. He didn\u2019t pretend not to see her. Instead, he spoke to her and touched her. She was set free from her infirmity. Her 18 years of living with a crooked body dropped away, and she stood straight and tall, seeing Jesus face-to-face.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">In that compassionate interaction, Jesus had an encounter with someone the world tends to overlook. He showed us that, first of all, we need to see others\u2014to look at them and acknowledge their presence as God\u2019s creation, precious in his sight. When we look into their eyes, we\u2019ll see a human being and not a deformity, disability or limitation.<\/p>\r\n<p>Second, we need to speak to that person as we would anyone. Conversing normally shows that we\u2019re not intimidated by the person\u2019s disability. Even if we\u2019re just talking about the weather, we are expressing our interest in the other person\u2019s words and opinions.<\/p>\r\n<p>Third, we need to be willing to touch them if it\u2019s appropriate. Human touch is a mysterious, powerful tool that communicates worth and significance through something as simple as a handshake, a touch on the shoulder or a hug.<\/p>\r\n<p>Everyone needs to know that they are valued. When we begin to see others as Jesus does\u2014as human beings with value and significance\u2014we might become the window through which they can see Jesus for themselves.<\/p>\r\n<h3>Reflection<\/h3>\r\n<ol>\r\n<li>How do you tend to respond to people with disabilities?<\/li>\r\n<li>What does Jesus\u2019 example with the woman teach you about relating to others with or without physical disabilities?<\/li>\r\n<li>Whom do you need to see as Jesus sees them?<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<p>Taken from the NIV Women\u2019s Devotional Bible.<\/p>\r\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/link.biblegateway.com\/view\/5ef5087d3f8d747b4f7c2923oj83z.8oh\/beaf93a4\">https:\/\/link.biblegateway.com\/view\/5ef5087d3f8d747b4f7c2923oj83z.8oh\/beaf93a4<\/a><\/p>","fulltext":"","state":1,"catid":"8","created":"2025-08-20 15:01:06","created_by":"873","created_by_alias":"","modified":"2025-08-20 15:01:06","modified_by":null,"checked_out":null,"checked_out_time":null,"publish_up":"2025-08-20 15:01:06","publish_down":"0000-00-00 00:00:00","images":"{\"image_intro\":\"\",\"float_intro\":\"\",\"image_intro_alt\":\"\",\"image_intro_caption\":\"\",\"image_fulltext\":\"\",\"float_fulltext\":\"\",\"image_fulltext_alt\":\"\",\"image_fulltext_caption\":\"\"}","urls":"{\"urla\":false,\"urlatext\":\"\",\"targeta\":\"\",\"urlb\":false,\"urlbtext\":\"\",\"targetb\":\"\",\"urlc\":false,\"urlctext\":\"\",\"targetc\":\"\"}","attribs":"{\"article_layout\":\"\",\"show_title\":\"\",\"link_titles\":\"\",\"show_tags\":\"\",\"show_intro\":\"\",\"info_block_position\":\"\",\"info_block_show_title\":\"\",\"show_category\":\"\",\"link_category\":\"\",\"show_parent_category\":\"\",\"link_parent_category\":\"\",\"show_associations\":\"\",\"show_author\":\"\",\"link_author\":\"\",\"show_create_date\":\"\",\"show_modify_date\":\"\",\"show_publish_date\":\"\",\"show_item_navigation\":\"\",\"show_icons\":\"\",\"show_print_icon\":\"\",\"show_email_icon\":\"\",\"show_vote\":\"\",\"show_hits\":\"\",\"show_noauth\":\"\",\"urls_position\":\"\",\"alternative_readmore\":\"\",\"article_page_title\":\"\",\"show_publishing_options\":\"\",\"show_article_options\":\"\",\"show_urls_images_backend\":\"\",\"show_urls_images_frontend\":\"\"}","version":1,"ordering":null,"metakey":"","metadesc":"","access":"1","hits":null,"metadata":"{\"robots\":\"\",\"author\":\"\",\"rights\":\"\",\"xreference\":\"\"}","featured":"1","language":"*","xreference":"","note":""}