Being Seen

by Katie Harding on October 18, 2021

Sometimes it’s not what Jesus does that gets our attention, it’s what He doesn’t do. So it is for me when I recently re-read the story of the woman at the well. Jesus, the One who usually answered a question with a question, never asked a single question of this woman — although she asked Him many.

“That woman,” as her city folk may have called her, probably didn’t ask many questions of others, because even though she saw them, they often didn’t see her. My guess is they avoided her by not making eye contact, engaging in conversation, or walking too close. They had a way of making the visible invisible. We may respond similarly when we see someone “flying” — the term the homeless community uses for panhandling.

To avoid the pain of alienation, she was good at "hiding." She went to the well in the heat of the day and was skillful at redirecting conversation, as we see in her response to Jesus when he instructed her to get her husband. Rejection is something we all try to avoid. It feels better to remain unseen.
Yet, Jesus saw her. He saw all people who came near — those hurting, diseased, lame, blind, considered sinners, shamed, and poor, as well as the righteous, religious, proud and arrogant. He even saw those who were hiding. He made eye contact and drew close, so He could engage in conversation. Whereas we are really good at making the visible invisible, Jesus had a way of making the invisible visible. He saw them and treated them with mercy, kindness and respect.

I learned years ago from John Maxwell in his talk “The Five Things I Know About People,” that everyone wants to be somebody special to someone. While on earth, Jesus was that someone to those who felt rejected, and He is still like that today. No matter who we are, where we go or what we’ve done, Jesus sees us. In the same way He knew the woman at the well without asking any questions, He knows us and doesn’t reject us. Instead, He draws close, speaks truth, and tells us about the new life He offers. He sees us.

The question is, will we allow ourselves to be seen by Him?