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Do You See This Woman? — 8/19/2026 10:00 AM
Today's Fall Bible Conference speaker is Dr. Trevin Wax, Vice President of Resources and Marketing at the North American Mission Board. Dr. Wax urges us to see others as Jesus sees them. His text is Luke 7:36-44.
Notes
Luke 7:36–50 presents a story of a Pharisee named Simon who was disgusted by a sinful woman’s unusual expression of worship toward Jesus. Jesus asked him a very important question: “Do you see this woman?” Of course, Simon realized the woman was there, but Jesus invited him to see her with a different kind of sight: a kind that’s bound up in love.
The Boxes That Blind Us
Two types of “boxes” keep us from seeing people the way God wants us to see them. First, you can be stuck in a farsighted box, where you see groups and labels clearly without seeing the individual in front of you. When you are blinded by this box, you pre-judge people based on categories and never push beyond those stereotypes to really know a particular person.
Second, you can be stuck in a nearsighted box, where you’re so focused on yourself that you are left with no energy to see others. When you're blinded by this box, your friendships are only focused on what people can do for you, not what you can do for them.
Simon looked at the woman and saw only a dirty sinner. He was appalled that such a person would touch Jesus. But Jesus told him a different story. He saw a woman showing gratitude for her salvation, a broken heart spilled out in worship. He explained to Simon that she had actually shown far more extravagant, generous hospitality to Jesus than Simon had.
The Gaze That Changes Us
Jesus truly saw both Simon and the woman, and He loved both of them deeply. He sees and loves you that way too. The God on the throne is the God who stoops to see each of us.
What does it mean to see how God sees? It means to look beyond the outer surface, to break beyond the façade, and to look at a particular person, not just their type. The only way this is possible is through love. True love doesn’t look for a category; it finds a person.
Seeing like Jesus begins with being seen by Jesus. Look up to the God who notices you. In being seen by Him, you will begin to truly see others, to realize their infinite value, and to love them the way He loves.