Eyes That Do Not See

Seeing you will see and not perceive.   —Matthew 13:14

I am not normally one of those people who count steps, although I once counted the steps between the new pole lights on the walking track around Roxbury Park. In my defense, I was a contractor when I was in my twenties, and I wanted to see if the lights were put in willy-nilly or in a set plan. This past week, as I loaded the car to leave our annual United Methodist Church gathering at Grove City College, I found myself counting steps. In order to add to my step total on my pedometer, I used the stairs, three flights, instead of the elevator.

On the first trip up, I counted one, two, three … ten steps to the first landing and then eleven, twelve … nineteen steps to the second floor. I was intrigued that the landings were not both ten steps so I counted the steps to the next floor—nineteen steps again. Uncertain whether I miscounted or not, I counted again, one, two … nineteen. Yes, nineteen steps between floors. Did you notice anything? I was headed to the third floor. After counting steps three times, I was now looking at a ladder that went from the fourth floor to the roof. I was so busy counting steps, I forgot that my destination was the third floor.

Most of us have heard the saying, “Can’t see the forest for the trees.” As I climbed the stairs, I saw the steps (counted every one of them) but did not recognize the floors. Spiritually, many of us get so caught up in the day to day activities that we miss the spiritual significance of what is happening. We need spiritual eyes and spiritual understanding to see how God is at work in and through our lives.

As Jesus taught the people in parables, earthly stories with spiritual meanings, Jesus was fulfilling what Isaiah had prophesied. People would hear Jesus teachings but not understand and see spiritual events but not perceive. The reason the disciples heard Jesus’ teachings and understood and saw the miracles and perceived the significance was twofold. One, they were in a relationship with Jesus, and He taught them. Two, they believed and were willing to obey.

Many of the religious elite of Jesus’ day studied the Scriptures and Biblical laws with great diligence but missed God’s intended meaning and its fulfillment in the life of Jesus. Jesus condemned the Scribes and Pharisees not for not knowing the Scriptures, but for not believing in Him. The fact that they knew the Scriptures increased Jesus’ criticism towards them.

We can all see and understand if we believe and are willing to heed Jesus’ teachings. The wise and learned of this world do not automatically have an advantage over the young and uneducated in understanding spiritual truths. Jesus said, “I thank You, Father … that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes” (Matthew 11:25).

When we claim that we do not understand, we may actually be saying that we will not understand. If we believe in Jesus Christ and are willing to do what He commands, the Holy Spirit reveals God’s will to us. We see and perceive spiritual truth. Having eyes that don’t see doesn’t have to apply to us. We can see, believe, and respond. Lord, give us eyes to see, spirits to understand, and hands and feet willing to obey.

Washed Clean

Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.    —Isaiah 1:18

Along both sides of my driveway are stone walls made of rock-faced sandstone. The stones come in three heights, and until recently, were a grayish brown color. The stonework is good, and most of mortar remains solid. But, there was nothing exciting or extraordinary about the wall.

The church gave me a pressure washer for Pastor’s Appreciation month back in October. Last week (yes, seven months later), I finally got around to removing the bow and firing it up. We washed the driveway walls, and to our delight, the stones were not brown and gray, but red, gold, white, and tan. The pressure washer made the walls come alive in beauty. Imagine looking at the Grand Canyon in a black and white photo and then seeing it live in full sunshine.

Many persons live broken, dismal lives without Jesus Christ. They get by, and things seem good enough, but they have no idea how beautiful life could be in an intimate relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Isaiah writes, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow” (1:18). Past sins, failures, and rebellion leave stains and scars in our lives. The blood that Jesus shed for us on the Cross cleanses us from all sin.

As I power washed the stone wall, dirt, road dust, and mildew were blown away leaving clean, beautiful stones. Some of the stains had been there for years and may have been on the stones when they were installed. In our lives, some sins have plagued us for years. Others have been in our families for generations. Just like the high pressured water washed even nearly permanent stains away, Jesus Christ promises to not only forgive our sins but to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

How do we receive this spiritual cleansing from sin? It’s a gift! Just as the pressure washer was a gift to me, salvation, eternal life, and forgiveness of sin are gifts from God. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). A gift means two things. One, someone else paid for it. The people of the church paid for my pressure washer. Jesus Christ did for us what we could not do for ourselves. He lived a perfect life and died a sacrificial death to pay the price for our sins. Jesus can now offer us eternal life as a gift which He purchased.

Two, a gift must be received to complete the transaction. On a Sunday in October, last year, I was presented with a new pressure washer with a large gold bow on it. I said thank you. Mentally and ceremonially, I accepted the gift, but in reality, I did not receive it until last week, when I removed the bow, read the instructions, and started the engine. Then and only then did I personally and actually receive the gift. It has made such a difference—beautiful.

Spiritually, many believe there is a god and believe Jesus came and died for us but have never personally received this greatest of all gifts. John 1:12 says, “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” Have you received the gift of God’s Son? Have your sins been washed clean? When we believe and receive, we become children of God. Friend, Jesus loves you. Jesus gave His life that you might receive life in all its fullness. Call upon the Lord, today. Receive His love and forgiveness and be washed clean.

Deep Sea Fishing

Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.              —Luke 5:4

Darlene and I were both only nineteen years old and had been married less than a year. We sat in our home church’s fellowship hall eating cookies after a missionary and evangelism service. As we visited at one table, members from our youth and young adult small group were beginning to cause a commotion in the other end of the basement.

Several of our group had been on choral mission trips to Haiti. They decided among themselves that since Darlene and I had not yet been on a mission trip that they would send us on one next year. The commotion was excitement caused by deciding who and how they would tell us. Upon hearing their plans, we felt God was calling us to “put out into deep water.”

For us, deep water, was stepping out in faith and committing to something we could not afford. Deep water was leaving the comfort of our small little church, small little hometown, and family to travel to the third world. We were only nineteen and had never been anywhere, alone, together.

The door to Haiti closed to us, but God opened a new door to Honduras. We went on a three week mission work tour during November, 1975. We took our first plane ride to Miami, but no one from the mission team was there to greet us. We literally ran through the construction-ridden Miami airport, got our luggage, and hopped our first taxi ride to the hotel. The taxi nearly crashed in road construction, but we eventually found our hotel and our team.

We handled the stress well enough, but, during this time, we discovered how desperately afraid of flying Darlene was. The two airlines we flew on from Miami to Honduras were TAN and SAHSA. I think they were Honduran airlines but cannot remember what the letters actually stood for. The locals told us TAN meant Tragedy Arrives Nightly, and SAHSA—Stay At Home, Stay Alive. We landed on short runways in the mountains; we believed their jokes.

We worked hard for three weeks building a church in the outskirts of the capital city of Tegucigalpa. We toured the country, met many great folks, and became committed to world missions. We were definitely fishing in deep water, but God protected us and gave us strength.

Sometimes the deepest water is a situation in your own home or the difficult neighbor across the street. If we are willing and available to be used by God, the Holy Spirit will call us to join Him in reaching the lost of our world. When Jesus told Peter to “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch” (Luke 5:4), He went along with him. They caught such a large catch of fish that they had to call their partners to come help them with a second boat.

Jesus begins the Great Commission in Matthew’s Gospel by telling the disciples that all power and authority had been given to Him (28:18).  Jesus then commands them and us to “Go make disciples of all nations” (19), but concludes His command with a promise, “And surely I am with you always” (20). What deep water is Jesus calling you into? Across the table, across the street, or around the world? Take a step of faith. Hear God’s voice and go deep sea fishing for men.