Sunday, November 16, 2014

The persistent father, part 2

And a man from the crowd shouted, saying, "Teacher, I beg You to look at my son, for he is my only boy, (Luke 9:38 NASB)

The father, bringing his son to Jesus, asked a beautiful thing of Him. "Look at him," he said. He understood what many of us do not. When Jesus looked at the need in that boy's life, He would see him with compassion and would respond to the need. The father wanted his boy healed. There is no doubt about that. He had asked the disciples to heal the boy already. Because of his faith, he simply asked Jesus to respond to the need He saw, knowing that whatever Jesus did would be enough. 

The word here indicates a turning of the eyes with compassion and intent. It implies turning the gaze away from the sights before one and turning toward something else in a way that allows not just sight, but sight with insight and understanding. What a beautiful word picture to consider Jesus turning His gaze toward us with insight and understanding, seeing our need and responding to it! May He turn His gaze to us and our loved ones, responding to our deepest needs with whatever solution is best! 

This turning of our gaze from that which distracts is how we should "look" at Jesus, as well. Our looking to Him should be with such intensity that we gain understanding and insight into His ways. Our looking should cause us to become more like Him. 

The prophet Hannai was speaking to King Asa, but his words are no less true for us today. "For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His." (2 Chronicles 16:9 NASB)

If we turn our eyes to the Lord so fully that our hearts are completely His, when He looks at us, He will not just take delight in us, but also have compassion for the heart of love He sees. 

Oh, dear ones, "turn your eyes upon. Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace."

Look to Jesus. 

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