Invisible

Luke 7:36-50

For today's devotion, I would like to offer an illustration of what might have been going on in the mind and heart of this precious woman that is described in our passage of scripture. I call her precious because that is what she is to Jesus even though to the rest of the world she was invisible.

There she was again, in the temple courts listening to the people talk about God, the law, religion. She kept coming here, but she wasn't sure quite why. No one spoke to her, no one even looked at her. To them she was invisible. The only time anyone paid her any attention was at night when no one would know. After all, she was a "sinful woman". She knew that better than anyone.

She kept coming to the temple hoping that someone might show her a way out of her pain. Could she truly be set free the way the prophets had spoke about? She was Abraham's child. Was there anyway out of this paralyzing guilt and sinful life?

Then one day she saw him, Jesus, the one she had heard about. He healed the sick and cured the blind. Could he truly be the one they had waited for? She listened and the words burned inside her. Her heart was truly repentant that day. She believed He was the Son of God, and she was determined to live a new life. But, as the crowd dispersed, she found herself all alone. She wanted to cry out, "I want to change! Someone help me and show me where to turn! Someone, please! See me!" But, to them, she was invisible.

She had to find him. She had to find this man that had given her hope. The man that had caused her heart to burn with repentance and who spoke the words that made her truly want to change. She overheard a Pharisee invite Jesus to dinner. She was determined to find Him and somehow express her love and gratitude to Him.

She set out with the finest material possession she had, her alabaster box filled with perfume. She approached the house of the Pharisee her heart pounding within her. She just had to see Him. She had to offer her praise. As she entered, no one looked at her. They just continued their meal as if she did not exist. But, there was Jesus. She knew her sin so well and deep down she knows He knows it to. She knelt behind Him so as not to disturb Him, but then she couldn't help herself. The pain of the life of sin she had led for years just came pouring out through her tears. She wiped them away with her hair, but more came. She kissed his feet over and over because no words could express what He meant to her. She poured out the perfume in her alabaster box on his feet as a sacrifice of praise. And then He spoke.

Jesus told the Pharisees of two men. One had a large debt while the other had a small debt. The moneylender canceled them both. Which one loved the moneylender the most? All she knew was that she had a large debt. Jesus finished his story and that's when it happened. He said, "Do you see this woman?" The world stopped turning for just a moment for her. He saw her! She was not invisible. Then He looked at her. His eyes were so beautiful and difficult for her to look into at first, but now she can't look away. He said, "Your sins are forgiven."
"All of them?", she wanted to ask. But, the freedom she felt in her heart answered her question.

From that day on, it didn't matter when people looked past her or through her or treated her as if she were invisible. He had seen her. And He is all that matters.

Have you ever felt invisible? I certainly have. Sometimes we really need a compassionate hand to reach out to us and there are none. Just cold eyes that don't even meet ours. Please know today or any day that these feelings might come into your heart that Jesus sees you. He really sees you, and He doesn't look away. Look into His eyes today and find the peace you have been searching for.