Read Luke 7:36-50

“The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace.”

It’s a beautiful prayer . . . a prayer that God would bless us. That’s a translation we’re used to hearing in church, but look up Numbers 6:26. Do you notice the subtle difference in the translation? “The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” What indescribable peace is there when God looks on you with favor . . . when he “turns his face toward you.”

But that peace seems fleeting at times. The turmoil, the struggle, the pain, the sadness, the anger, the guilt . . . if God is looking at me, is he looking at me with favor?

I want you to walk with me into a house. It’s a house that doesn’t feel welcoming at all. The people in that house thumb their noses at people like me. I don’t think they even know what it’s like to struggle. They spend so much time making sure the rest of us look just a little worse than them. That house is painfully familiar.

But let’s, just you and me, walk together into that house. It’s the house of Simon the Pharisee and his gaggle of Pharisee friends. It doesn’t feel good in there, does it? You can almost feel the judging eyes shooting daggers at us. We don’t match up. We’re not good enough.

But then she walks in. We can hardly believe she’s here. Those judging eyes were directed right at her. They knew who she was. So do we. It’s hard for us to even fathom the courage it took for her to come. But why is she here and what is she doing with that ridiculously expensive bottle of perfume? Then she meets eyes with Jesus. She loses sight of the judging eyes as her eyes are locked in on the eyes of Jesus. She can feel the lump growing in her throat. She gets to his feet and it all comes out. She starts weeping at the feet of her Savior.

Look just a little closer. Where are Jesus’ eyes? You and I, together, watch the scene unfold. How will Jesus react to this woman, this woman everyone knew about? What will the Pharisees think? The scene is getting increasingly uncomfortable. But then you see it . . . Jesus’ eyes. “Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, ‘Do you see this woman?’” (Luke 7:44) His eyes said so much. Jesus turned his face toward her. “Do you see this woman, Simon? Because I see her.”

Dear brother . . . Dear sister . . .look at Jesus’ eyes. He is looking towards you even now. He is looking towards you with a longing heart. He is looking towards you with compassion and grace. He is looking towards you with love. Even now—whatever now brings—he turns his face towards you, he locks eyes with you through his Word of grace, and you can be sure that even now he says, “Dear child, I see you.”