Know someone who talks way too much? What races through your mind when you see that person approaching? Duck into the washroom? Take “a call” on your phone?

What if your favorite friend comes your way? A burst of joy? Run to meet that person?

How we see others determines how we engage. Fear, boredom, bitterness, compassion, anger — each colors the encounter in a different way.

Jesus’ contemporaries all witnessed his authority, wisdom, love, and power. But they all saw him in different ways. Very few actually saw Him (John 14:9; 10:33).

There’s an interesting passage in 2 Corinthians that brings this home for us (5:16-17). Paul observes that we shouldn’t see Christ or those who know Him as mortals. Jesus Christ is God, and those who follow Him are new creatures.

Here’s a good exercise for this week. Try to view each student you encounter as new creatures “in Christ,” just as Christ was “in the Father” (John 14:7-21). See how it makes you feel when one of them approaches . . .