“Without Vision …”

Summary: Once we have seen the glory of our Lord, how can we refrain from doing whatever we can to share this good news?

Scripture focus: Matthew 6:22-23; 13:10-17; Acts 2:25-28

Date: Sunday, 14 February 2010 (Austral Church of Christ) and Sunday, 23 January 2005 (Hurstville Church of Christ)

Having ‘Eyes Open’ to ‘See’

Have you ever thought about how vision works?

You may be surprised to discover that it is next to impossible to replicate human vision.  Cameras take only a two-dimensional image of a scene.  In comparison, somehow, our eyes and brain combine sensory data to create a three-dimensional image, from which we can discern all sorts of factors in the environment around us: “Is danger ahead?”, “Which way should I turn, right or left?”, “Is that someone I know coming towards me?”, etc.

In this final sermon, I want to encourage you all to maintain your confidence in the vision that God is providing to you, to keep on despite the disappointment of my leaving.  God is good, all the time … of that we can be certain.

Vision as a Theological Metaphor

Vision is used quite often as a metaphor in the Bible.  We find a particularly difficult passage, that uses this metaphor, in Matt 6:22-23:

The eye is the lamp of the body.  So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eye is unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness.  If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! (Matt 6:22–23)¹

This passage forms part of Jesus’, “Sermon on the Mount”, and seems to be telling us, through the metaphor of vision, that the values of the people of God are distinct from the values of the world because our focus is on Jesus and what he would have us do.  One commentary had this to add,

The eye is the organ of perception through which our whole personality is guided (vs 22-23).  If we focus our vision on what the world calls success, our perception will be distorted and the light of God’s revelation of reality will be blocked out.  Our whole personality will be darkened.

What’s more, our will is affected as well.  God and ‘success’ will compete in our personalities, and our values will be shaped by a commitment to one or to the other.  [For example,] “You cannot serve both God and Money” (vs 24).²

If we can ‘see’ God at work in our lives, then we will trust him, knowing that he cares for us —even as he cares for the birds and flowers— and we will live according to his will for us.  Our behaviour must be guided by the values of the Kingdom.

In Matthew 13:10-17 this vision-metaphor was used again by Jesus when he stated:

Then the disciples came and asked him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?”  He answered, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.  For to those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.  The reason I speak to them in parables is that ‘seeing they do not perceive, and hearing they do not listen, nor do they understand.’  With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah that says:

‘You will indeed listen, but never understand,
and you will indeed look, but never perceive.
For this people’s heart has grown dull,
and their ears are hard of hearing,
and they have shut their eyes;
so that they might not look with their eyes,
and listen with their ears,
and understand with their heart and turn—
and I would heal them.’

But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.  Truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it. (Matthew 13:10-17)

So, some will ‘see’ and be blessed, while others will not.

Revelation is Revealed to the Christian

What sets these two groups apart is faith in Jesus, and faith enables the disciples of Jesus to have our eyes opened to the truth about the world and human nature.  “Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, ‘If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free’” (John 8:31-32).  God’s revelation makes us free.  But for those whose ‘eyes are closed’, they cannot ‘see’ the truth and are not free.

Prophecy is a Christian Calling

As God’s faithful, we can, with King David, rejoice in the truth revealed to us:

“For David says concerning him, ‘I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken; therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; moreover my flesh will live in hope. For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One experience corruption. You have made known to me the ways of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’” (Acts 2:25-28, emphasis added)

David rejoiced in the truth that he knew about his God by faith and described his experience as ‘vision’.  The same can be true for us.  However, with David, we must also share this truth that we have ‘seen’.  To speak to others about this truth, and live according to this truth, is a prophetic act.

The prophet: 1) shares what he has ‘seen’; and, 2) applies that revealed truth to new situations.  What are the tough questions of our day?  How can Christians exemplify the life of faith in God and be an example to those around us?  How can we speak relevantly to those questions and share the eternal found in Jesus?

In my own life, as a child, I stole outdoor light bulbs from a man’s store.  He chased my friends and I all over the neighbourhood.  When he finally found us, and we denied our wrongdoing, he gave us money instead and thereby showed us God’s grace.  That example was poignant then and sticks with me to this day.

How do we pay our income taxes?  How do we date without succumbing to the pressures of physical attraction?  How do we turn down a job with a company that operates unethically?  These, and other, choices present us with opportunities to be prophets who ‘see’ and share the truth of God.

Conclusion

Where there is no vision, the people perish:
but he that [keeps] the law, happy is he. (Proverbs 29:18)³

Vision leads God’s people to expect, and work towards, better things for themselves and for others.  Vision compels us to live differently, despite whatever difficulties this may cause us and despite whatever pressures our friends, families, and coworkers may place upon us.

O taste and see that the Lord is good; happy are those who take refuge in him. (Psalm 34:8)

Once we have seen the glory of our Lord, how can we refrain from doing whatever we can to share this good news?

Let us pray …

Almighty God, Lord and Giver of Life,
in this dark world of chaos and sin
our vision is often clouded
by the beliefs and values regularly promoted
by the media, our schools and workplaces,
by even our friends and family.
Such is the example of the world around us
that we are often encouraged to behave in ways contrary to your will,
presented, as they are, as acceptable
because “everybody else is doing it”.
Please forgive us for when
we have allowed ourselves to be led astray
rather than remain in tune with your ever-present Holy Spirit.
Take not your Holy Spirit from us
but continue to open our eyes and ears
that we might be constantly aware of your presence and your will
and be thus inspired to courage and faithfulness.
May our example be true and may you also embolden our words
that we might declare your truth and shine your light into the dark places.
For it is in the name of Jesus, and for the sake of your Kingdom,
that we pray with the confidence of your Spirit.  Amen.

Endnotes