I Can See Clearly Now
Place a variety of eyeglasses on each table, including reading glasses, sunglasses, plastic glasses with lines across the lenses. Include some glasses with springy eyeballs that are used at Halloween. Invite the women to choose a pair and write down how the glasses affect their vision. They should then pass that pair to the person on the right and then try on glasses the person on the left has just tried on. Ask for feedback on how the different lenses changed their view. Did any of the glasses make their vision better or worse? Why?
What Did You See?
Have one of the women to come to the front of the room. Ask a few questions like, “What is your favorite color? What is your favorite season? Where do you live? Then ask that woman to leave the room. Pass out a sheet of paper with the following questions about the person who left the room.
- What color are her eyes?
- What color is her hair?
- Was she wearing nail polish? What color?
- Was she wearing earrings?
- Was she wearing a ring?
- Was she wearing a watch? What kind?
- What kind of shoes was she wearing?
- Was she wearing socks?
- Was she wearing a belt?
- Did she have anything in her hands?
- Was she wearing a necklace?
- Was she wearing glasses?
Have the woman return to the room and invite the others to tally up their correct answers. How much did you really see? What was your focus? How often do we look at someone, but not really see them because we are focused on something else?
Sing Chorus #386 The Salvation Army Song Book, “Open Our Eyes, Lord”
Opening Prayer
I Can See Clearly
Read Luke 19:1–10
When we want to see something more clearly, we do whatever it takes to make that happen. We move to the front of the room; we get glasses with corrective lenses; we shade our eyes from the sun. When we want to see, we do whatever it takes.
Zacchaeus had heard about Jesus. Most likely he had heard about the miracles and he wanted to know more about this man. Upon learning that Jesus was coming to town, he had to see Him for himself.
The problem was that he was shorter than most men and he couldn’t see over the people. The crowd was so thick that he couldn’t push his way through to the front, so while people lined the road, he ran ahead, around them to try to get a chance to see Jesus. He spotted a sycamore tree with branches low enough for him to climb. There just happened to be a limb that he could crawl out on and sit where he could see over the crowd.
The crowd grew closer, but Zacchaeus still couldn’t see Jesus. Then he heard a voice calling his name. He looked down and saw Jesus. Not only was He calling his name, He told Zacchaeus that He wanted to come to his house that day.
Zacchaeus must have thought, “Why would Jesus want to come to my house? Does He know me, and what I do for a living? I am a tax collector, despised by most people. I don’t deserve to have Him in my home.” However, the people called Him “Master.” If Jesus wanted to come to his home, Zacchaeus would show Him the way. He wanted to know more about this Master. Of course, people started complaining right away because Jesus was going to the house of a tax collector. They called Zacchaeus a “sinner.” Why would Jesus go to his house?
Zacchaeus saw Jesus, but Jesus saw right through Zacchaeus to his heart. He knew Zacchaeus had stolen money from people by taxing them more than they were required to pay. Immediately, Zacchaeus realized that he was in the presence of the Lord and was convicted of his sin. He offered to give half of his possessions to the poor, and to pay those whom he had cheated four times the amount he had taken from them.
Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house.” In other words, Zacchaeus made his heart Christ’s home. Have you allowed Jesus to be at home in your heart?
In closing play the song: “Do They See Jesus In Me” by Joy Williams. You can find a video of this song on YouTube.
Close in prayer, asking that others will see Jesus when they look at us.
