It Doesn't Take a Prophet to See Sin

When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is - that she is a sinner.”

Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” 

"Tell me, teacher," he said. -Luke 7:39-40 (NIV)

I find these verses are a key paradigm shift for most people. Most of us think exactly the way Simon does - that hearing from God means seeing someone’s sin. That if you see with God’s eyes, then we are dirty, filthy, and dreadfully sinful. They are afraid of getting too close to God for exactly this reason. However, God is standing in the room, and he has different thoughts. Yes he sees the sin but he sees much more than that. He sees beyond the sin and into her transformation and love.

Simon thinks exactly like most people do today - that God sees us principally with our sin. That it takes God to see our sin. However, it doesn’t take a prophet to see sin - in fact, most people can see it and everyone in that room knew the kind of woman that was there. What does take God’s perspective for is to see deeper into the person, to see what God’s plans for them are and to call them to it.

This is my favorite part of being a believer - in Christ, we can pray and see things that do not yet exist in the physical. We can see what God is calling people to, not just what they are or what they’ve done. We can see with the eyes of heaven and have hope where others have none.

 

Seeing With Heaven's Eyes

 

When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is - that she is a sinner.” Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” -Luke 7:39-40

I find these verses are a key paradigm shift for most people. Most of us think exactly the way Simon does - that hearing from God means seeing someone’s sin. If you see with God’s eyes, then we are dirty, filthy, and dreadfully sinful. They are afraid of getting too close to God for exactly this reason. However, God is standing in the room, and he has different thoughts.Yes he sees the sin but he sees much more than that. He sees beyond the sin and into her transformation and love.

Simon thinks exactly like most people do today - that God sees us principally with our sin. That is takes God to see our sin. However, it doesn’t take a prophet to see sin - in fact, most people can see it and everyone in that room knew the kind of woman that was there. What does take God’s perspective for is to see deeper into the person, to see what God’s plans for them are and to call them to it.

This is my favorite part of being a believer - in Christ, we can pray and see things that do not yet exist in the physical. We can see what God is calling people to, not just what they are or what they’ve done. We can see with the eyes of heaven and have hope where others have none.

Saying Yes

What did Mary need to do to make the vision happen? Essentially she just had to say yes. She had to say yes at the beginning and every day, even the ones where she was being mocked or attacked or her life threatened by stoning. Every day was a choice not to abort and walk away. Though saying yes is easy in some moments, there are others where yes is hard.

Yes is hard because you are saying no to a normal life. Saying yes to God automatically shoots down so many dreams and ambitions and plans. Granted, most of those plans are futile or impossible, but there is a deep sense of loss nonetheless. Sometimes it is heart-breaking to understand that you will never truly belong anymore.

Saying yes is hard because often you don’t have a reason. “God told me” is the best you have to explain to people but you can’t use it. Now that shouldn’t be bad but so many people have used it to manipulate others that it just seems calloused and conversation-ending to say. Once you say “God told me” you are closing the door to any other opinions or advice, good or bad. No, often you have to just say that you don’t have a reason, or that you may be wrong but you don’t want to miss God.

Saying yes is hard because everyone will rejoice with you in the victory and birth (Luke 1:58) but no one will be there to help to carry it out.

Getting to Bethlehem

Jesus had to be born in Bethlehem. How did Mary get there? She didn’t need to strive and fight to fulfill this particular part of the prophecy; it turns out that there was a government census and EVERYONE needed to travel. It also just so happens that her fiancee's family was from Bethlehem.

God didn’t tell Mary that she needed to find a way to get to Bethlehem; it just happened. God was orchestrating His plans in His ways. Be extremely careful to do things HIS way or you will find yourself using so much effort on things He hasn’t called you to do!

Also, trust that the Lord will bring around the right people at the right time. I have neither the time, not the energy, nor the strength to find the kind of partnerships we need in the US to put the ministry on solid financial footing. But I don’t need to - God has told me many things but that I need to be spending more time trying to find donors isn’t one of them. I need to trust that God will bring the right people at the right time, and that he is calling someone else to carry this standard.