Are you doing or have you done things you never thought possible? Maybe you are in a job you never thought you could do. Maybe you are in school taking courses you never thought you would take. Maybe you are crafting, sewing, cooking; and these are things you never found interesting or possible for you to master.

I am sometimes amazed at myself at things I have learned, things in which I am involved, things I am doing I never thought were possible. Most of these things happened because someone saw the potential in me and encouraged me to do them.

Jesus was the master of encouragement. He could teach, quote scripture, perform miracles, and show love and compassion. He could rebuke when necessary, but He could also see the potential in people.

In Matthew 4, Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee. There He saw two brothers, Peter and Andrew. In verse 19 He said, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Scripture says they immediately left their nets and followed Jesus.

Jesus must have seen potential in these two men, as well as the other ten He chose to be His disciples. He chose them from different walks of life; and He knew the kind of life that lay ahead of them—trials, tribulations, and suffering. One would not stand up to the temptations that lay ahead. This man was Judas.

Peter is, of course, the one we think about the most often. He was impulsive, quick to speak his mind, and often did the wrong thing. Sadly, he even denied that he knew Jesus.

Just before Jesus went back to heaven, He had a conversation with Peter at the Sea of Galilee. Three times, Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him; and three times Peter affirmed that he did. Peter was obviously sorry for his denial of the Lord, and Jesus was forgiving and told him to feed His sheep (John 21:15-17). Peter spent the rest of his life feeding and teaching about his Lord.

There was a young man mentioned in the book of Mark, who came to Jesus with a question. He asked Him in verse 17 of chapter 10, “What shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” Jesus reminded the young man of the commandments of the Old Testament, under which they lived (verse 19), and the man answered that he had observed these commandments from the time he was a boy.

Jesus’ answer probably came as a surprise. He said, “One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me” (Mark 10:17-21).

The first sentence in that text is very interesting to me. It says, “Then Jesus beholding him loved him”. Jesus saw something in this young man that was special. He gave him the opportunity to be better than the good man he already was, but the young man gave up the chance by walking away in sorrow.

In John 4, Jesus met a woman at Jacob’s well. He sat resting and waiting for His disciples to go and buy food for them, and an unnamed woman came to draw water.

Jesus talked with her about her five husbands, where to worship, and a chance to receive living water. He ended His conversation by telling her, “God is a spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24).

Here was a woman living in a sinful state, yet Jesus took the time to teach her. She received His message, reported their meeting to those in Sychar; and the people welcomed Him into their city. This woman was a Samaritan, people generally hated by the Jews. Jesus surely saw something different than just a sinful Samaritan.

In Luke 19, there is a story of a man who wanted to see Jesus. He was the chief among the publicans (tax collectors); he was rich, and he was short. He was so determined to see the Lord that he climbed a tree.

When Jesus passed the tree, He looked up at this little man. He said, “Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for today I must abide at thy house” (Luke 19:5). So Zacchaeus hurried down and took Jesus to his house, where he promised that if he had taken anything from anyone, he would give back four times the amount he had taken.

This little, rich man, from a profession despised by most everyone, caught the eye of Jesus. He had the potential for greater things, and Jesus saw that in him.

So when opportunities come to us, think about Peter, the fisherman; think about the rich young ruler; think about the divorced Samaritan woman; and think about the tax collector watching for Jesus from a tree. They were ordinary people, with ordinary problems; guilty of sins we see and hear about every day. Jesus saw their potential; surely, He sees ours as well.

“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Philippians 4:13

Sandra Oliver