C2J Weekly: "Receiving Sight, Part 1"

This is the eighth of a twelve-part series titled, "His Eyes." In this series, we have been contemplating how our eyes seem to respond to the light so that we may be able to get a better idea of how they should work. It is my hope that with His eyes, we will be able to see the path on which we run, thereby learning how to effectively run this race.

In Luke 18, Christ says to Bartimaeus, "Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.” Note that Jesus doesn't say something like "Your efforts to call out to Me have restored your sight." Nor does He say, "I will make you see again." Jesus commands Bartimaeus to receive his sight through his faith in the One who is mighty to save. Here we can see that to receive sight requires faith.

So what is this faith that grants sight? In the book of Hebrews we learn that faith is the assurance of things not seen. Huh? How can such assurance of the unseen help us see? For this, we will have to revisit how we are blind. At the start of this series, we established that we are blind because we cannot understand the Light. Though this Light is physically illuminating, its goal is to illuminate in the spiritual places. So perhaps, our plight is a spiritual blindness that makes it difficult for us to have the Father's heart and the unseen mentioned in Hebrews is only in regards to natural sight. Could it be that the unseen never defined by our full understanding can still be viewed should that faith allow it?

Paul teaches us in Romans that faith comes through hearing the Word of God. So practically, the first step to receiving sight is finding a church that has a pastor that challenges you to move. Faith must bring forth fruit; it is the natural progression of faith. Through faith, sight is received. Then that sight compels one to take action. From there they move in such a way that demonstrates the love they have received and so another hears the Word.

So as a believer, it is not only imperative that you are in fellowship with other believers, but also the brethren challenge you so that you may grow. So don't use the blind eyes of your past, but take for yourselves the eyes He gave you, fashioned with His scarred hands and purchased for you through His blood. It is my exhortation to you, that though you may not have seen the King, you will open your spiritual eyes, take faith and receive a kind of sight that only comes from the Father.

Thought: "If my eyes could see You, I'd have no faith left to prove." -J.J. Heller, from Invisible Love