Author's Note: All previous volumes of this series are available here. The first 56 volumes are compiled into the book "Bible Study For Those Who Don't Read The Bible." "Part Two," featuring volumes 57-113, was published in December 2022.
Thanks for spending some of your Sunday with our Bible study. I say “our” because this is an interactive study in which readers are encouraged to share their thoughts, faith, and insight about the Word of God and the topic of the day.
If you missed last week's study, “What the Old Testament Says About Eyes and Sight,” please take five minutes to read it now. While we wait, listen to this inspiring song on the topic and discuss later.
Everyone ready? We begin with a quick Old Testament verse. A repeat from last week, because it is foundational to know the first time God mentions sight and what it means for all that follows throughout the Bible:
And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. And God saw that the light was good” (Genesis 1:3-4).
I wrote, “Upon seeing His creation, God extends His power of sight into the physical universe, to include thought, word, and deed.”
As usual, there are many more relevant verses in the New Testament than space will allow, so I will focus on concepts about eyes and sight — physical, spiritual, and symbolic. First is “the eyes as the lamp of the body” that Jesus taught at the Beatitudes:
“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” (Matthew 6:22-23).
Jesus teaches that what you see or watch can bring light or darkness into your entire being. This lesson is especially applicable to young and old people who spend excessive time watching or playing violent games and shows. Moreover, the scourge of pornography can permanently damage young minds. Jesus knew all these screens were in our future, so this Matthew verse is relevant today as a stark warning.
On a brighter note, the eye represents the window to our souls. We can open that window as wide as we want, letting in as much light, love, faith, goodness, and generosity as possible. How open is your window? Can you open it further?
Second is “eyes and temptation,” about which the Apostle John wrote:
“For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world” (1 John 2:16).
John is channeling Genesis 3:6, more commonly known as the “Fall of Man”:
“When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it” (Genesis 3:6).
When John wrote “the lust of the eyes”, he warns how when we see something we instinctively know we should avoid or were told to do so, we can fall into sin. Nevertheless, humans are drawn to attractive people who sometimes have questionable character or motives, along with extravagant luxury goods we can’t afford but buy anyway. In both cases, trouble can result.
Third is spiritual blindness contrasted with sight. We know that Jesus physically healed the blind man in John 9. But that story is also a powerful metaphor for those who have sight but are blind to the truth, the way, and the life offered by faith in Jesus. The story famously includes the common saying, “I was blind and now I see” (John 9:25).
Fourth is “awareness that God sees everything.” (Circling back to Genesis 1:3-4 since God “invented” sight.) His all-knowing, all-seeing omniscience is why He demands that we love and fear Him. That is a theme prevalent in the Old Testament, which was discussed last week. In 1 Peter, the Apostle Peter repeats Psalm 34:15:
“For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil” (1 Peter: 3-12). Since this is the New Testament, God’s role is unchanged through Christ’s mediation.
Last is “eyes and faith,” which is symbolic since your eyes represent insight and understanding of God's Word and His will for your life. St. Paul told us:
“For we live by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). Then in Ephesians, Paul wrote:
“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe” (Ephesians 1:18-19).
Those verses bring us to the popular song I linked earlier: “Open the Eyes of My Heart (I Want to See You)” written by Paul Baloche and performed by him in this video. Numerous others have also recorded the song, which is often sung in churches and worship arenas. Below are the basic lyrics:
“Open the eyes of heart, Lord. Open the eyes of my heart, I want to see you, I want to see you. To see you high and lifted up, shining in the light of your glory, Pour out your power and love, as we sing holy, holy, holy.”
Credit to St. Paul and then to Paul Baloche for giving us verses and lyrics that we can relate to and strive to fulfill.
Now, I'll tell you why I write about Baloche’s song. Although I can’t remember the last time I heard or sang it until the night before writing this study. In my sleep, I “heard” the lyric “open the eyes of my heart, Lord,” twice repeated. It woke me up, and I knew I was supposed to include those lyrics in this study. I took it to mean that within this song lies a message for all of us. So, sing away, at the top of your lungs, and Lord Jesus will “open the eyes of your heart” for whatever you need to see. Amen to that!
Myra Kahn Adams is a conservative political and religious writer. Her book, "Bible Study For Those Who Don't Read The Bible," reprints the first 56 volumes of this popular study. "Part 2,” reprints Vols. 57 –113. Order it here.
She is also the Executive Director of the National Shroud of Turin Exhibit, dedicated to building a future permanent Shroud of Turin exhibit in Washington, D.C. Join our effort! Click to attend a major Shroud conference July 31- August 2 in St. Louis. I will be there! Contact: <MyraAdams01@gmail.com>
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