Open My Eyes that I Might See (Article)
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton
via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 15, No. 1, March 31, 1989
The writer of Hebrews, in Hebrews 5:11-14, tells us that those full of age have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Most of us can understand how young Christians (spiritually young, that is) can be so easily mistaken in seeing evil. After all, they recently left the world behind and have yet to learn to see things as God does. But how does one miss seeing good?
The topic under discussion was seeing Jesus as someone like Melchizedek did. The author suggested this was something good that readers would find difficult to understand. They should be able to grasp the concept, but they have become dull because they have not used their spiritual senses. It's like what happens when we become old. We stop being so active because it's "kid stuff," soon, we can't do it because our muscle tone is gone from the lack of use.
No Growth Leads to Blindness
"For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately ·f°rgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the word, this one will be blessed in what he does" (James 1:23-25).
It takes more than reading God's word to fully understand all that God wants us to do. We must always apply what we learn to our lives. Otherwise, we will forget what we have learned. This is the problem that the readers of the Hebrew letter had. We must avoid becoming people who are "always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth" (II Timothy 3:6-7).
Peter gives a similar warning. He first gives a list of virtues that we must add to our lives. If we abound in them (or grow), we will not be unfruitful in our service to God (II Peter 1:5-11). In verse 10, he says that we will never stumble if we do these things. But if we lack these things, then we become shortsighted, blind, and forgetful (II Peter 1:9). In other words, if we don't have these virtues, we won't be able to see them in ourselves or others.
We Can’t Recognize What We Don't Have or Understand
To illustrate, let us use one of Peter's virtues: love. How can you see love if you don't have love in your life?
Suppose I meet you at a shopping mall and mention that I have a Chevy Nova in the parking lot. Could you walk out and point it out? Of course not! You need a little more information, like what color it is. You would need to know the year and style. You would probably have to read all the nameplates if you have never seen a Nova.
The same thing goes for love. You cannot point it out accurately until you know what you seek. Many think they know what love is, but they don't. Young people often confuse desire and passion for love. But true love has nothing to do with either of these things - see I Corinthians 13:4-8.
Also, consider:
"We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. By this we know love, because he laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him" (I John 3:14-19).
So many people claim to love God, but their actions speak otherwise. When we refuse to recognize the needs of a brother and do not show love to a brother, how can we possibly claim that we love God? No, John tells us that by doing the works of love and not just claiming to have it, we know we are following God's will.
Think of it this way: if you cannot show love to someone you see regularly, how can you love God, whom you have never seen? (see I John 4:20-21). It reminds me of Jesus's statement in the Parable of the Talents: If you are faithful in a small thing, then you can be trusted to be faithful in significant things (Matthew 25:21).
This is all to show that one can think they understand what good is and believe they can point it out if they ever see it, but unless you truly understand it by doing what is good, you are probably walking right by it.
Sin in Our Lives Can Hide Good
Paul made a very disturbing statement in Titus 1:15-16. To the pure, everything tends to look pure. But to the defiled, everything tends to look defiled. We all see the world through colored glasses. We don't see the world as it actually is but how we would like it to be. The question is, what color are your glasses? Do you tend to see what is wrong in everyone's life? Then watch out! The sin in your own life may be biasing your outlook.
Satan works hard to keep people from seeing the light (II Corinthians 4:3-4). As a result, we end up stumbling in the light because of our many sins (Isaiah 59:9-14). It's like what happens when we first get up in the morning and turn on the light. Our eyes have become so accustomed to the darkness that the light hurts. We can become so accustomed to sin that the truth actually blinds us. John tells us in I John 2:9-11 that one who hates his brother is blind due to the sin in his life.
We Can’t See When Our Eyes Are Shut
The Jews could not see the truth because they simply refused to look. Isaiah 6:9-10 indicates that the Jews refused (feared?) to understand what God wanted. This passage is quoted in John 12:37-41 to explain why the Jews saw irrefutable miracles and yet could walk away and not believe. This refusal to see is why Jesus often spoke in parables (Mark 4: 12). It explains why the Jews in Rome were confused by Paul's preaching (Acts 28:25-28).
As a result, the leaders of the Jews were blind men leading blind men (Matthew 15:14). They refused to listen to Jesus (John 8:43). Instead, they thought themselves to be wise (Romans 11:25). But Solomon tells us that only a fool prefers the darkness (Ecclesiastes 2:14).
Examine Yourself
So, what have we become? Have we allowed Satan to blind us so that we can no longer recognize good? Are we unable to distinguish good from evil?
Have you ever said or known someone to say, "Well, I've never seen _________." (Fill in
the blank with some virtue.) What is disturbing about this statement is that many Christians are practicing these virtues in the world today. I would suspect you can find many examples of any virtue in question right within your congregation. If you haven't seen examples, then I would be concerned that you have become blind.
"Open my eyes that I might see,
Glimpses of truth Thou hast for me;
Place in my hands the wonderful key
That shall unclasp, and set me free.
Silently now I wait for Thee,
Ready, my God, Thy will to see:
Open my eyes, illumine me,
Savior Divine!"
—Charles H. Scott
