It’s amazing what we see when our eyes are really open.
The human eye is a masterful creation. It has over two million working parts. Each eye is connected by one million nerve fibers. 80% of what we learn and remember is determined by what we see. Even the world’s most infamous proponent of evolution confessed:
“To suppose that the eye…could have been formed by natural selection, seems, I freely confess, absurd in the highest degree.” (Charles Darwin, Origin of the Species)
Sadly, Darwin was ultimately blinded by his worldview which allowed his sense of “reason” to persuade him that “natural selection” created this “absurd” reality. It’s a warning to us: our worldview determines what we understand. I agree with Darwin’s original conclusion: the eye could not have evolved…
Our vision is from God.
Our eyes start to develop just two weeks after we are conceived. They open for the first time at 27-28 weeks while still the womb. We start to blink. By week 33, our eyes start to constrict and dilate. We can see dim shapes.
Then we are born.
Early eye contact between mother and her baby aids bonding and adds to touch and sounds to affect our relationships with each other. As our vision develops, our eyes are introduced to a brand new world, full of wonder and intrigue. The more we look at something, the more understanding we gain of it. When we close our eyes to something we fail to perceive its true nature. Things change when our eyes are opened.
Two men were walking on the road to Emmaus, talking about the life and death of Jesus. The risen Jesus joined them, although they did not recognize him at first. But later “their eyes were opened and they recognized him.” (Luke 24:31) They shared with others and praised God. But their visual sight didn’t immediately bring spiritual understanding. Jesus appeared to them again later and found them afraid and full of doubt. Jesus asked, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds?” Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. (V 38,45)
Just as there is a physical blindness that prevents us from seeing the physical world, there is a spiritual blindness that keeps us from seeing and understanding God’s ways and his plan for us. It comes upon us when we don’t fully believe what he said. Oh we may “believe in God”, but if we reject his teachings and his authority over our lives we become blind to how he reveals himself to us. Isaiah says that God’s Word sounds foolish to those who reject it. The spiritually blind simply cannot grasp or understand the Word of God because “the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel… (2 Corinthians 4:4).
But just as 80% of vision problems worldwide are preventable or curable, so 100% of our spiritual blindness can be cured! Just as our physical vision comes from God, so he provides our spiritual vision. As believers, we have the power to overcome spiritual blindness and see the light. The Spirit of God who desires to live in us can bind the mind-blinder so we can walk in the light of his truth.
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).
Have your eyes been opened to the truth and grace of Jesus? Have you seen the evidence of his power to transform broken lives? If not, you can ask him for spiritual sight; you can read his Word to gain understanding. If you have opened your eyes to him, how are you responding to what you’ve seen?
