The Character of Christ (10): Seeing People for Who They Can Become

It is amazing to see how beautiful the personality of Jesus is, as we continue to behold Him through the pages of scripture, so that we can become more and more conformed to His likeness. A close look at the way He related with people while He was a man on the earth reveals clearly that He saw people for who they could become. He didn't condemn or write off people. He didn't fall into the trap of seeing people for who they were at the moment or who the entire society thought they were, instead He saw people for who they were meant to be. He chose to see beyond the negative to allow God transform lives through Him. He saw what people could become despite their current despicable state. He didn’t write people off because of their present circumstance. He always brought out the best in people.

Let’s take a look at three different people out of the many examples in the bible that give us a clear picture of this aspect of our Lord's personality. The first is Mary Magdalene. The bible records her as the woman out of whom Jesus had initially cast out seven demons and as the first person He appeared to early in the morning after He rose from the dead (Mark 16:9). After the Lord delivered her from demonic oppression, she became so devoted to Him that she stayed with Him all through His trial and hours on the cross (Matt. 27:56). She was right there when the large stone was rolled against the door of His tomb (Matt. 27:61), she was one of the women who bought spices and rose up very early the morning after the Sabbath day to anoint His body (Mark 16:1), and she stayed weeping outside the tomb when she thought that His body had been taken away from where He was laid even when His disciples chose to go back home after seeing the empty tomb (John 20:10-11). What a huge change! You see, when Jesus first saw Mary possessed with evil spirits, He saw beyond that. He saw a woman who would become a devout believer and useful in God’s hands. He saw a woman who would stay with Him all through His torture and crucifixion even when His disciples ran away. He saw a woman who would be the messenger to tell the disciples that the He is risen (John 20:18). He saw a woman who would be one of the founding members of the early church (Acts 1:14).

The second person is the man who used to live in the tombs in the country of the Gadarenes. In the gospel according to Mark, the bible records that, on His trip to that country, immediately He came out of the boat, "there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him. And he cried out with a loud voice and said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God that You do not torment me.” For He said to him, “Come out of the man, unclean spirit!” Then He asked him, “What is your name?” And he answered, saying, “My name is Legion; for we are many.” Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country. Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains. So all the demons begged Him, saying, “Send us to the swine, that we may enter them.” And at once Jesus gave them permission. Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea. So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that had happened. Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine. Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region. And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him. However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.” And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled" (Mark 5:1-20). Again, we can see here that when Jesus initially saw the man, He didn’t see a violent lunatic, He didn’t regard Him as hopeless, rather He saw a man who would evangelize the entire ten cities (meaning of Decapolis). He saw an evangelist not a lunatic.

Finally, the third person we’ll consider is Apostle Peter. Jesus told him, "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it" (Matt 16:18). He said this to Peter even though He knew he’ll deny Him 3 times (Mark 14:66-72), He said it even though Peter was still worldly in His thinking at the time, which is obvious as He rebuked him just a few moments later as recorded in Matt 16:23, “But He turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.’” He saw beyond Peter’s present idiosyncrasies, He saw a man whose preaching would yield three thousand converts in one day (Acts 2:41), He saw a man who would walk in the power of the Spirit to bring healing and deliverance to lives (Acts 3:8), He saw a man who would boldly speak the truth in the face of persecution (Acts 4:14), He saw a man who would be a major leader of the early church.

Friends, let us examine ourselves. Are you always quick to write people off or do you see them through the eyes of the potential that God has deposited within them? Do you focus on people's weaknesses and faults or do you look beyond their current situation and allow God use you bring out the best in them?

Every day we have a choice to help bring something great out of others or to overlook them, discount them or be so focused on our own gain that we simply shun them.

Oh Lord, transform us into your likeness, help us to see people for who they can become like you always do! Amen