Luke 7:36-50 (text: v. 44-- "Simon, Seest thou this woman?"

    Simon, the Pharisee, had seen the sinful woman wash Jesus' feet with her tears. Yes, he had seen her weeping, anointing, wiping, and kissing (v. 39)--but he had not really "seen" her at all. All he could see was uncleanness, sin, a wasted life, a person unworthy of decent folk's company.
    Jesus saw her differently (1 Sam. 16:7). He wanted Simon to see her differently (v. 44). "Do you really see her, Simon? Do you see what's going on here?" 
    Simon's problem was blindness: 

• He could not see who Jesus was. Jesus proved to be a prophet by reading Simon's thoughts and revealing his needs.
• He could not see who he was. He was a sinner too.
• He could not see what Jesus saw in this woman.

What did Jesus see in her?
I. The WORTH of her SOUL-- A precious soul worth saving.
    A. Simon saw no worth in her (v. 39).
    B. To Jesus, she was worth the whole world (Mk. 8:36).
          1. She had an eternal soul.
          2. She had an broken spirit. God values broken things.
II. The WARMTH of her SACRIFICE--Abounding love for her Lord (v.47).
    A. v.37--Love of giving (ointment)
    B. v.38--Love of affection (kisses)
    C. Love of being forgiven (vs. 40-47).
III. The WILLINGNESS of her SERVICE-- (vs. 44-46).
    A. Love is manifested in service. 
    B. Love will not be denied-- Endured abuse to serve Him.
IV. The WITHDRAWAL from her SIN-- Her desire to be done with sin (tears of remorse--v.38).
Yes, she had failed in life (who hasn't?); but the point was, what she was doing showed a break with all of that. Couldn't Simon see that? No, he could not because he could only see what his self-righteous, smug heart wanted to see.

    Are we like Simon? Do we really "see" the people around us at work, in the stores, or even at home? Have we looked beneath the obvious to see precious souls in need of God's saving grace? We should ask ourselves about everyone we meet, "What's going on inside this person? Does he/she know the Lord?       How can I serve him/her in a way that will help this precious soul draw closer to the Lord?" Think how differently we would treat people if we saw them all this way. What we need are eyes that really "see." 
Song: "Let Me See This World As Though I Were Looking Through Your Eyes"