“Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness. Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness. If then your whole body is full of light having no part dark; it will be wholly bright, as when a lamp with its rays gives you light,” Luke 11:34-36. There is a continual theme of light and dark in scripture. This light and this darkness is known to exist within the heart that resides somewhere behind the eyes. For all concrete purposes, we are meant to understand that the darkness of the heart effects our vision as does the enlightening of our hearts. These eyes of our heart actively light our perception. They are the lamp that we use to light our way.
In other words, how well we are able to perceive Reality unalterably affects the choices we make, the words we say, the activity that we engage. We will act upon what we perceive to be real! If our eyes perceive the ruling hands of Death as a constant threat to our welfare, and if our eyes perceive humanity as a corroded mechanism that enforces Death’s power and actively threatens our ability to survive, well, this is the light that we will live by. Our path will be determined by and fraught with enemies in the dimly lit perspective our darkened hearts. We are enabled to see only temporal Death… .God is not among us… .He is not envisioned in image or in power.
This, my friend is a serious issue. One that I face everyday. Do the eyes of my heart see the inevitable restoration of creation by the activity of a powerful Divinity moving and weaving among us? What the eyes of my heart see as a greater reality will determine my choice, my words and my activity on planet earth. Like the Psalmist, I pray an honest plea that God will restore my eyes to good vision. I want good eyes that perceive His ongoing resurrection of fallen flesh…
Good eyes go looking for this treasure. They see the kingdom of God among us.. .within us. They see the restoration of creational glory and God’s government in the flesh. They envision a God-Man story culminating in future fullness. They see Life as Divinity designed it - they see its manifestation in you and in me. Good eyes go looking for lost life. Let everything that has breath be revived and sanctified! Let every creaturely coin be purified and reveal itself treasure once again… .by the powers of a merciful Savior.
This is good! I really question my perceptions, what I think of man and what I think of God.
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