Day 17 — See the One

“When he saw him, he took pity on him.”— Luke 10:33 (NIV)

We live in a world that moves quickly.

We have places to go, things to accomplish, messages to answer, responsibilities waiting, and schedules to keep. It is possible to move through an entire day surrounded by people without truly paying attention to anyone.

Jesus lived differently. He ministered to crowds, yet He continually noticed individuals.

He saw Zacchaeus sitting in a tree.

He heard blind Bartimaeus crying out from the roadside.

He stopped for the woman who touched the edge of His garment.

He welcomed children when His disciples thought He was too busy for them.

Jesus saw the one and as His disciples, we are learning to do the same.

Sometimes following Jesus begins with something incredibly simple: Look up, put down the phone and slow your pace. Pay attention.

People all around us are carrying stories, burdens, questions, disappointments, and needs we may never recognize unless we become present enough to notice.

Jesus told a story about a man who was attacked by robbers and left wounded beside the road. A priest came along and saw the man, but he passed by. Then a Levite came. He also saw the man and passed by. Finally, a Samaritan approached.

Scripture says: “When he saw him, he took pity on him.” — Luke 10:33 (NIV)

All three men could see, but only one allowed what he saw to affect what he did.

The Samaritan stopped.

That is an important lesson for disciples. We can recognize that someone is hurting and still keep walking. We can notice a need and convince ourselves that someone else will handle it. We can become so focused on where we are going that we miss the person directly in front of us.

Seeing the one is more than recognizing that someone exists. It is allowing compassion to interrupt our indifference.

Many of Jesus’ ministry moments happened while He was on His way somewhere else.

In Mark 5, Jesus was traveling to the home of Jairus, whose daughter was dying. The situation was urgent, yet while Jesus was walking through the crowd, a woman who had suffered with bleeding for twelve years reached out and touched His clothes. Jesus stopped.

Imagine the pressure of that moment. A desperate father was waiting. A little girl was dying, and a crowd surrounded Him, yet Jesus recognized that someone in the crowd needed His attention.

What looked like an interruption became ministry.

Our schedules and responsibilities matter. There are legitimate places we need to be and important things we must accomplish. But if we are never willing to be interrupted, we may miss some of the people God places along the way.

Sometimes the interruption is the assignment.

Noticing someone is only the beginning. Love is often expressed through the attention we are willing to give.

When someone begins talking, are we truly listening? Or are we checking our phone, looking around the room, thinking about what we will say next, or searching for a way to end the conversation?

Jesus did not rush people through their stories, instead He asked questions and listened. He allowed people to speak and called people by name. Before trying to solve someone’s problem, we can learn to be present.

Look at them and listen to what they are saying. Pay attention to what they may be struggling to say.

Ask: “How are you really doing?” or “Would you like to talk?”

“Is there anything I can do?”

Sometimes giving someone our full attention is one of the most loving things we can do.

When we notice someone hurting, it can be easy to focus immediately on fixing the problem, but people are not projects. Sometimes what someone needs first is not an answer. They need to know that they have been heard.

We may be quick to offer advice, explain what we think they should do, or share a similar story from our own lives. Those responses may have a place, but compassion listens before it instructs.

We do not have to know how to fix everything, but we can sit with someone in grief. We can listen while someone processes disappointment and we can acknowledge another person’s pain without rushing to explain it.

We can say: “I’m sorry you are walking through this.” or “I’m here with you.” “Would you like me to pray with you?”

Presence communicates something powerful: “You are not an inconvenience. You matter.”

It means becoming comfortable with moments of silence instead of feeling that we must fill every space with advice.

Compassion often begins before we ever say a word.

Sometimes people do not need another person to fix them. They need someone willing to sit beside them long enough to remind them:

“You are seen.”

“You matter.”

“You are not alone.”

Today, intentionally slow down enough to see the one. Do not go searching for a dramatic ministry opportunity. Pay attention to the people already around you.

Look up from your phone, notice the person serving you, pay attention to the quiet person in the room.

Listen when someone begins telling you how they are doing. If someone seems discouraged, do not immediately walk past.

Ask:

“Jesus, what is mine to do here?”

Then be willing to stop if He gives you something to do. Maybe you listen, maybe you encourage or maybe you help. Maybe you pray. Or maybe you simply look someone in the eyes, call them by name, and give them your full attention.

At the end of the day, ask: “Who did I truly see today?”

Do I move through my days too quickly to notice the people around me?

What distractions keep me from giving people my full attention?

When someone interrupts my plans, do I immediately become irritated, or do I consider that the interruption may be an opportunity to love?

Do I listen with genuine attention, or am I usually thinking about what I will say next?

Do I rush to fix people’s problems when they may first need someone to listen?

Do I sometimes feel responsible for meeting every need instead of asking Jesus what is mine to do?

Who might God be asking me to notice today?