Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Spiritual eyes being opened to see

The Lord spoke these words:
"For I am in the midst of clearing the spiritual blindness in many! Many who could not 'see' shall begin to 'see'! Seeing what I've been doing in their midst! Because their eyes of understanding has been enlightened!"

In Ephesians 1:17-19, Paul wrote, 'That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power'. The word 'enlightened' here is 'photizo' in Greek, literally meaning 'to be made to see'.

In the physical realm, in order to see, there's got to be light. Imagine you are in a pitch-black enclosed room with a thick curtain. No matter how good the physical condition of your eyes may be, it's useless when there's no light. You can't see a thing! It is the same with the spiritual realm and your spiritual eyes. That's why David wrote in Psalm 36:9, 'In Your light we see light'. There's got to be His light for you to see with your spiritual eyes! That's why many unbelievers whose hearts are not open to Him may read the Bible, but they just can't 'see' what God is saying! In John 8:12, Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but have the light of life."

People of God, the key chapters to read at the moment are John chapters 8 and 9. Interestingly, John chapter 8 is about the Pharisees who couldn't 'see', and after John chapter 8, is John chapter 9 that talks about how Jesus opened the eyes of the blind man. I believe there's no coincidence in the Bible, and there's no coincidence why Jesus said what He said, and why Jesus was at where He was. Everything happened for a reason in the dispensation of His time on earth. Jesus was always at the right time and right place, all the time. You see, when His time wasn't up yet to be crucified, no matter how people tried to kill Him, they just couldn't!

Now, who then were the Pharisees those days? They were an influential religious sect within Judaism, mostly made up of leaders of synagogues and affluent laymen, holding important positions with decision-making powers. They emphasized men's tradition in addition to the written Law, and taught that all Jews should observe all 600-plus laws in the Torah. Men's traditions were added to God's laws, and given equal emphasis as God's laws. Jesus called them hypocrites, because they taught man-made rules/traditions that they themselves could not follow (see Mark 7:6-7). 

And when the 'light' came, they just couldn't 'see'! That is the gist of what John chapter 8 is all about! In fact, John chapter 8 ends with verse 59 that says, 'Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by'. 

The very next verse is John 9:1-2 that says, 'Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth, and His disciples asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"' In John 9:3-5, Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." 

John 9:6-7 then says, 'When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. And He said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing'.

Reading John chapter 9 in the context of the previous chapter (John chapter 8), it is clear that Jesus wasn't just opening the man's physical eyes, but He was also giving a message that blindness in spiritual eyes can only be opened when we are open to His light! 'Saliva' here speaks of 'Word and Spirit from the mouth of God', whereas 'clay' speaks of 'we humans'. And the statement "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" speaks of 'we being open and look to the Sent One, i.e. Jesus'!

People of God, the good news is your time to 'see' has also come! Be open to His light, and let His light shine in your heart and soul right now. Let us not be like the Pharisees those days who 'rejected' this light. I pray that you'll 'see' what He's been doing in your life - Seeing the many good that He wants to do in your life! Seeing that you aren't too late yet, even if the enemy wants you to think so! Seeing that He understands and cares for that 'tricky' situation you are in right now! And seeing that your answer is on the way! In Jesus' name. Amen!