When Matthew tells his story in Matthew 9:9, it sounds so simple that you miss a far more profound truth. Jesus walked by, saw him, and said, “Follow me.” But the word “saw” means far more than noticing someone with your eyes. It embodies the concept of seeing with a complete understanding, perceiving the truth about a person, and discerning their heart. In the Gospels, the look Jesus gave Matthew often describes a gaze that sees the deepest recesses of the soul.

For Matthew, the look could be deeply personal. In the world of rabbis and disciples, a sustained gaze could be a way of saying, “I know you, I choose you, and I believe in you.”

This is why the scene is so stunning. Matthew was a tax collector. In the eyes of his community, he had sold out to Rome. People spoke his name with contempt. They did not invite him to the synagogue, nor did they welcome him in polite company. If anyone looked at him, it was with suspicion or disgust.

But Jesus looked at him in a way Matthew had never known. His eyes did not glance past him. They lingered purposefully. The eyes of Jesus carried knowledge and yet held no condemnation. That look seemed to say, “I know who you are. I know what you have done. But I also know what you can be. My grace can restore the man you were meant to be. I see him.

Jesus called him before He ever spoke a word. That look was the first step. Grace reached Matthew’s heart before his feet ever left the tax booth.

This is what grace looks like. The Son of God invited the most rejected man in town to walk beside him. Jesus knew Matthew had nothing to offer but a stained past and a ruined reputation. Yet the invitation was not, “Prove yourself and then follow.” It was simply, “Follow me.”

Grace changes everything. The man who once collected Rome’s taxes would one day gather the words of Jesus into the Gospel of Matthew, a book that has drawn countless people to faith. Grace sees potential where others see only failure. Grace writes a new story before the old one ends.

Forgiveness was not only in the heart of Jesus. It was in His eyes. He did not hold Matthew at a distance. Jesus did not keep a mental list of wrongs. He treated him as if there were nothing to forgive, restoring his dignity and offering him trust. This is the beauty of true forgiveness. It releases the debt so thoroughly that the person never mentions it again, even in private thought. It looks at a person and sees what God can do with them, not what they once were.

If Jesus could see Matthew in this way, we cannot excuse ourselves from seeing others the same way. The genuine test of forgiveness is this: can you look at someone who hurt you and see what they could become if grace had its way in their life?

That is how Jesus looks at you. People may define you by your worst day. You may even define or describe yourself that way. But when Jesus sees you, He sees beyond the labels, the shame, and the failures. Jesus sees the real you. You were created for fellowship with Him. He can make you whole.

And His gaze is never without invitation. To Matthew, it was, “Follow me.” To you, it may be, “Come home.” Or “Rest.” Or “Let go.” His call is always personal. It always leads to life.

You are not the sum of your mistakes. You are not beyond His reach. Jesus still looks at those others ignore. He still calls the ones no one else chooses. And when He looks at you, it is never to count your sins. It is always to call your name.

Meditation thought: How do you look at people? Do you see only what they have done, or do you ask God to help you see what they could become in His grace?

Matthew lived with rejection and a past that seemed carved in stone. Then one day Jesus looked at him, and everything changed. You may know what it's like to feel stuck in a story you cannot change. I wrote Pain to Praise because I have been there myself. I have seen how the love of God can transform what was meant to break you into a part of a greater story. If you need that kind of hope, I would be honored to walk with you through these pages.