Mere Humans
Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Daily Reading: John 10:31 – 42
Focus Passage:
Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, "I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?"
"We are not stoning you for any good work," they replied, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God." (Jn. 10:31 – 33)
The persons who wanted to stone Jesus appraised him as “a mere man.”
We may find those words hard to fathom, knowing from hindsight what we do about Jesus. But we make similar appraisals about persons every day. We misjudge. We label. We categorize using all sorts of criteria and prejudice.
Those standing with stones in their hands, feeling threatened by Jesus, considered him a “mere man.”
We pigeon-hole those we see on street corners, in grocery stores, and sitting on park benches in all sorts of ways. Our characterizations over-generalize and fail to notice the person underneath the outer circumstance. Our labels and categories provide easy ways to objectify people, and hinder us from dealing with them as human beings.
A growing, evolving spiritual life gives us a new framework with which to see, a new lens, so to speak, with which to see God, ourselves, others, and the world. The Apostle Paul knew this reality when he wrote:
So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. (2 Cor. 5:16)
In the biblical framework, there is no such thing as a “mere man” or a “mere woman.” A growing capacity to see and pay attention to others allows us to see what is most real about a person. We begin to see their brokenness, as well as their gift.
It is easy to regard others from a “worldly point of view.” It takes no effort. We simply accept the common appraisal of persons and adopt that appraisal as our own. We don’t have to question whether others have it right or not. We assume that some people are cheats and some people are lazy and some others are better than everyone else.
The spiritual life invites us to move out of those easy categories to the more difficult work of authentic relationship, living honestly with those around us.
The Apostle confesses how easy it is to consider persons from a “worldly point of view,” and further confesses that at one time he viewed Jesus that way. In a sense, seeing with different eyes involves a transformation of spiritual sight, seeing with the eyes of the heart rather than the eyes of the head and reason.
I can guarantee this: Today no one you see will be a “mere man” or “mere woman.” Each person you see will be extraordinary in some way, just as Jesus was no “mere man.” The challenge for you and me will be to live at a pace that allows us to see persons as beyond ordinary.
For Reflection:
Make it your spiritual practice today to “regard no one from a worldly point of view.” Be intentional about seeing persons you encounter with the eyes of your heart. Resist easy judgments based on appearances. Notice who they are beneath the surface. Stay open to the surprise that comes from seeing someone differently.
This is difficult work, and depends on living at a pace where this kind of deeper seeing is possible (you cannot do it quickly, on-the-run!). It can be exhausting, too. So perhaps try it for segments of your day.
At the end of the day, reflect on your experience of trying to see people from a different point of view. What did you experience?
Daily Reading: John 10:31 – 42
Focus Passage:
Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, "I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?"
"We are not stoning you for any good work," they replied, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God." (Jn. 10:31 – 33)
The persons who wanted to stone Jesus appraised him as “a mere man.”
We may find those words hard to fathom, knowing from hindsight what we do about Jesus. But we make similar appraisals about persons every day. We misjudge. We label. We categorize using all sorts of criteria and prejudice.
Those standing with stones in their hands, feeling threatened by Jesus, considered him a “mere man.”
We pigeon-hole those we see on street corners, in grocery stores, and sitting on park benches in all sorts of ways. Our characterizations over-generalize and fail to notice the person underneath the outer circumstance. Our labels and categories provide easy ways to objectify people, and hinder us from dealing with them as human beings.
A growing, evolving spiritual life gives us a new framework with which to see, a new lens, so to speak, with which to see God, ourselves, others, and the world. The Apostle Paul knew this reality when he wrote:
So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. (2 Cor. 5:16)
In the biblical framework, there is no such thing as a “mere man” or a “mere woman.” A growing capacity to see and pay attention to others allows us to see what is most real about a person. We begin to see their brokenness, as well as their gift.
It is easy to regard others from a “worldly point of view.” It takes no effort. We simply accept the common appraisal of persons and adopt that appraisal as our own. We don’t have to question whether others have it right or not. We assume that some people are cheats and some people are lazy and some others are better than everyone else.
The spiritual life invites us to move out of those easy categories to the more difficult work of authentic relationship, living honestly with those around us.
The Apostle confesses how easy it is to consider persons from a “worldly point of view,” and further confesses that at one time he viewed Jesus that way. In a sense, seeing with different eyes involves a transformation of spiritual sight, seeing with the eyes of the heart rather than the eyes of the head and reason.
I can guarantee this: Today no one you see will be a “mere man” or “mere woman.” Each person you see will be extraordinary in some way, just as Jesus was no “mere man.” The challenge for you and me will be to live at a pace that allows us to see persons as beyond ordinary.
For Reflection:
Make it your spiritual practice today to “regard no one from a worldly point of view.” Be intentional about seeing persons you encounter with the eyes of your heart. Resist easy judgments based on appearances. Notice who they are beneath the surface. Stay open to the surprise that comes from seeing someone differently.
This is difficult work, and depends on living at a pace where this kind of deeper seeing is possible (you cannot do it quickly, on-the-run!). It can be exhausting, too. So perhaps try it for segments of your day.
At the end of the day, reflect on your experience of trying to see people from a different point of view. What did you experience?
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