How Jesus Saw People

Mk. 6:30-34

During His public ministry Jesus was the number one celebrity in all of Israel. If word got out that He was in a particular place, a crowd would soon gather. When He left that place and went to another, a different crowd would soon gather. People were drawn to Him as steel shavings to a magnet. They wanted to see Him for many reasons. Some were there to spy on Him. They regarded Him as dangerous to their religion, and were looking for a way to discredit Him. Others partly believed, and greatly hoped that He was the promised Messiah.

Others were looking for a cure to their sickness. Whatever the attraction, people wanted to be where He was.

Popularity may be an appealing thought, but it does have its downside. The Apostles wanted to spend some quiet with the Lord, and so often they couldn’t get it. Jesus, too, I am sure would have liked to have given His Apostles more attention, but the crowd made this hard. Although the Gospel of today doesn’t say that the crowd irritated the Apostles, we know there were times when they tried to give Jesus some space, some peace and quiet. A couple of times they became impatient with people. There was the Canaanite woman who made herself a nuisance. She was desperate to have her daughter healed, and the Apostles had to tell Jesus to let her have her way or she would wear them out. Then there were those mothers who brought their children to Jesus and the Apostles asked them not to disturb Jesus.

In today’s story we see how Jesus viewed the crowd. “He took pity on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd.” That was Jesus’ reaction to the crowd that shattered the peace and quiet He planned. They were vulnerable, lost, confused and in need of help. If we could look at people through the eyes of Jesus, what do you think we would see?

I think we would see some invisible burdens. Everyone carries burdens to varying degrees. Most people do not carry their heartaches for all to see. They bear them quietly and bravely, but they are there nonetheless. That couple in the car ahead may be a father and mother, who are worried about the financial affairs of their son. The woman in the supermarket may be concerned about her health, anxiously awaiting her doctor’s report. That elderly man crossing the road may have recently lost his wife, who was a constant companion to him for over fifty years. Someone once wisely said, “Be kind to each person you meet, because everyone is having a hard time.”

I found a poem written by someone who had the eyes of Christ.

“Pray don’t find fault with the man who limps and stumbles along the road,

Unless you have worn the shoes he wears or struggled beneath his load.

There may be tacks in his shoes that hurt, though hidden away from view,

And the load he bears placed on your back might cause you to stumble, too.”

Looking at people through the eyes of Jesus, would make us see some invisible burdens.

We would also see some extenuating circumstances. The critics of Jesus often thought He was too lenient in His attitude towards sinners. He came to the defence of a woman who was caught committing adultery. How could He do that, when the law of Moses clearly states that she should be stoned? He showed compassion to a prostitute, who washed His feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. They wondered why He would allow a woman like her to touch Him. He said to a dying thief, “Today, you will be with Me in paradise.” What right did a crucified criminal have to a place in paradise? The difference between Him and His critics was a matter of insight. He knew all the facts and the reasons about these people’s behaviour, whereas they didn’t. If we looked at people through the eyes of Jesus, we would see extenuating circumstances.

Finally, Jesus could see unrealised possibilities in people. He looked at the Pharisee Nicodemus, and He saw in him the possibility of his being born from above. He looked at a rugged fisherman, and saw in him the making of a spiritual rock, the foundation stone of His Church. He looked at the much-married woman of Samaria, and saw her as a witness for His cause.

Someone has said, “Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future.” I think Our Lord would heartily agree with that. He saw a large crowd, and He pitied them. If we would look at people through His eyes, beyond all their burdens and failures, we would see unrealised possibilities.

Lord Jesus, this Gospel teaches us that You thoroughly know each one of us. May we trust our lives to You as You lead us to our home in heaven.