Seeing, or not seeing
On spiritual cataracts and blind spots
Today, I want to talk about the ability to see—or, perhaps, the inability to see. What prompted this is that beautiful story in John chapter 9 about the man born blind who is miraculously healed by the Lord Jesus. That account resonated with me particularly, as my wife and I recently visited the optometrist at the hospital.
It turned out that one of her eyes had a significant cataract. Her vision is down to only twenty percent. That cloudy eye will most likely require surgery. But I realised that just as our physical bodies can become clouded, we can also be spiritually blind. And that spiritual veil is often something we don’t even see ourselves.
When eyes remain closed
The Bible is full of moments where people ‘just don’t see it.’ Think of the disciples on the road to Emmaus, those friends of Jesus. They were heartbroken and utterly disappointed that He had died on the cross. They were lost, disillusioned, and, in their sheer misery, had stopped listening for anything else.
As they walked back to their home in Emmaus, a stranger joined them. They didn’t recognise Him. It wasn’t until they invited Him to share a meal and the Lord broke the bread that something wonderful happened. The Bible says, “Then their eyes were opened, and they recognised him.”
It was as if a kind of spiritual mist lay over their perception. How is that possible? You’d spent years travelling with Someone, you know His voice and His way of speaking! Yet, their eyes were so blinded by their own grief and disappointment that they failed to recognise the Master in their midst.
The man born blind
The story of the man born blind also shows how persistent blindness can be. He had been sightless since birth—an unimaginably sad situation. In Israel, the prevailing thought was: if you were born that way, you or your parents must have committed a terrible sin. The Pharisees later berated him: “You were steeped in sin at birth!” The blame was therefore laid squarely on him. Thankfully, our insights are different now.
But who exactly was this Jesus? “Who healed you?” he was asked. The answer was vague initially. Eventually, Jesus sought him out again. And then, for him too, his eyes were finally and completely opened.
Who do people say I am?
The core question remains: Who is Jesus? That is the famous question the Lord posed to Peter: “Who do you say I am?” Peter’s answer was crystal clear: “You are the Christ!” He had seen it; he had understood it from the start. Perhaps he had known his doubts and difficult moments, but ultimately, the spiritual veil had vanished from his eyes, and he saw Jesus clearly as his Saviour.
Eyes are not opened through studies; the Pharisees knew their Bible inside out. Nor are they opened by listening to many sermons; how many people sit in church without a true vision of Jesus, or even of their own salvation? It is only possible when the Holy Spirit gives you light.
I was reminded of my own wife’s testimony, who said one day: “When I received the Holy Spirit, it was as if I’d been given a new Bible. The texts lit up. I began to understand the connections and saw how God kept speaking to me through that Word.” That is because your eyes must be enlightened by the Holy Spirit.
The blind spot
Besides cataracts, the blind spot also plays a role for many. I looked it up online once: everyone apparently has a physical blind spot. It’s the place on your retina where the optic nerve leaves the eye to send visual information to the brain. There are simply no light-sensitive cells there. Therefore, no information can be received. Every person has a place where they see nothing.
We also use it as an expression: “I just have a blind spot for those kinds of things.” What about someone’s character? Where you think: does that person truly not see how they are reacting? A great many people have such a blind spot in their spiritual life. They are unaware of certain things in their own lives while simultaneously accusing others. Sometimes, those very same faults, or worse, are actually present in their own lives!
Think of Jesus’ famous parable about the log and the speck. You accuse the other: “Look, how selfish you are,” or “You’re a narcissist,” or “You’re so stubborn.” But the Lord Jesus is essentially saying: “Don’t you realise that by making such accusations, you have a much bigger problem? You lack the love to accept the other person. You are full of accusations. In your own eye, there is an enormous spiritual blind spot, a huge log!”
Not seeing what God is doing
Many people live with this double handicap: spiritual cataracts and a blind spot. Ultimately, they don’t see what God is doing. You can walk through the most beautiful nature and say, “Nice,” but fail to be filled with wonder. You miss the acknowledgement that a magnificent, creative Intelligence must be behind this Creation.
The Bible is clear: our eyes must be illuminated by the light of the Gospel. Only then do we begin to see it, just like the man born blind. He recognised Jesus as his Lord and Saviour, even though all the ‘religious’ people around him claimed he was a sinner. He saw Jesus and gave Him the glory.
Living with enlightened eyes
That is why Paul so emphatically says that believers should look with the enlightened eyes of their hearts. That you look with expectation at what God can do. That you see your calling and destiny, instead of saying, “I don’t know what I’m meant for.” Let those cataracts disappear and your eyes be opened.
You are permitted to recognise and embrace your calling and God’s purpose for your life. You gain sight of that incredibly valuable inheritance that all believers possess in Christ. You are allowed to declare: “I am owned by Christ. I may reach out for more of Him, for healing, for liberation. I may allow His character to emerge more fully in my life.”
Perhaps people in your environment are saying: “That’s just the way you are; nothing will ever come of you.” Maybe you’ve heard that curse since childhood. That has placed an enormous cataract on your vision, preventing you from seeing your destiny. But God says: “You are My beloved child! I want every word that lies upon your life as a curse to be broken, so you may experience the inheritance of My glory.”
Opening the eyes of others
Just like the Lord Jesus, we are called to be a light in this world and open the eyes of others by sharing that Jesus Christ is the Saviour. He desires to cleanse and remove every clouding, every blind spot.
Let’s return to the disciples on the road to Emmaus. Their eyes were opened, and they recognised Jesus through the Scriptures. Let us ask the Lord Jesus: “Will You show me the blind spots in my life? Let every clouding disappear?”
That is the promise: our clouded vision will be cleansed, so that we will see and acknowledge the Lord Jesus in all His glory in our lives. Away with those cataracts, away with that blind spot! You are allowed to see Jesus live and work in your life in all His glory.
With that thought, I bless you: may you stand in life crystal clear, without any blind spot, and may you see Jesus in His full glory.
@ Wim van Putten