There is a famous painting by Rembrandt that’s entitled “The Return of the Prodigal”. Of course it’s inspired from Jesus’ story of the Prodigal Son found in Luke 15. The original painting can be found in Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia; and it’s valued at over 15 million dollars.

Now just imagine that one day you went to visit St. Petersburg, and there in the back alley dumpster you find Rembrandt’s masterpiece, but it’s barely even recognizable. It’s covered in mud, and dirt, and garbage, it’s stained, and the canvas has a tear in it.

If you were the one who found it, how would you treat this painting?

Would you treat it like trash? I mean it’s covered in mud, and it’s stained, and torn – is it worthless? Would you treat it like it’s worthless?

Or would you treat it like a multi-million-dollar masterpiece that simply needs to be handled with care and restored?

Well, I’m guessing that all of us would see past the mud and even the damage to recognize that this one-of-a-kind work of art is still extremely valuable, simply because it was created by Rembrandt’s own hands.

This is a good reminder of a great spiritual truth. What we need to understand is that’s what Jesus sees when He looks at people – a valuable masterpiece, simply needing to be restored.

So let me ask you: When you look in the mirror, what do you see?

When a lot of people look in the mirror, they know what they wish they were and what they want to be; but what they see is a muddy, stained, damaged version of who they aught to be. So maybe you see the muddy stains of selfishness, sin, addictions, and one bad decision after another. Maybe you see the damage caused by broken dreams, or abuse, or the loss of a loved one, or a hurtful divorce.

If that’s what you see, I want you to know that it’s time to start seeing yourself through Jesus’ eyes. Because Jesus looks beyond the mud, and the stains, and the rips and tares – and He sees a valuable masterpiece made by the very hand of God.

Now the mud, and the stains, and the tares still need to be dealt with, but that’s not for you to deal with alone. And that’s not even what Jesus sees first. In Jesus’ eyes, the mud, and the stains, and the tares don’t define you – God does.

That’s what God’s amazing grace is all about! God’s Grace cleanses and restores ALL willing people!

Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

This is the good news we have to receive, and to speak into the lives of others.