The Invisible (Lent Devotion) - Thursday, April 11
The Invisible
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7)
There is much in life we ignore and of which we are unaware. Many things are invisible to us.
Spring is full of things being revealed which were hidden in winter. Plants grow and bloom. Trees sprout leaves. Children magically appear outdoors in our neighborhoods, their voices mingling with the songs of returning birds.
In his three year ministry, Jesus saw who was in front of him. Certainly, he spoke to large, mega-church size crowds. But more often, he interacted on the lanes of villages and towns. He spoke at people's homes, sharing their food, hearing their stories. Generally, he walked places and that pace led him to personal interactions with people.
We all have filters in our lives when we see people – stereotypes. Few of us, if any, are blessed with the natural gift of seeing and respecting everyone as Jesus did. After all, he was called out for spending time with tax collectors and sinners!
He saw women and children in a male-dominated culture. He saw the sick and the handicapped. He saw Samaritans, shunned by most Hebrews.
In Mark 2:17, Jesus says, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” He was here to heal the sick and proclaim the Gospel to the marginalized, the invisible.
American culture has never known what to do with its Native people. So, we have made them invisible. But in this season of repentance, we can begin to see them and help them to see the salvation that is theirs through Jesus Christ, the Savior of all.
Lord, we know you have a plan for every one of us. Help our ministry be where the Indians are, to afford them the opportunity of becoming visible, in the Light, to blossom in the Kingdom. Amen.