Spiritual Eyes

Spiritual Eyes.

There are two very different and competing ideas about the authority of our eyes.

One the one hand, the world teaches us that “Seeing is believing.”

On the other hand, we have the Scriptures. “We walk by faith, and not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).

I imagine you can guess which side I come down on. The problem with “Seeing is believing” is that there is more to life, more to this cosmos, than what we can see. There are dreams, loves and fears, angels and demons. There is order, purpose, hope, all only partially visible to our eyes and reason. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not seen, making the most important Persons part of the unseen world.

The Christian, then, knows that there is more to life than meets the eye. There are unseen forces acting all around us. Most especially we know that “all things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purposes” (Romans 8:28). Knowing this we begin to see things with “spiritual eyes.”

When we meet someone, our eyes might tells us a few things, if they are a man or woman, young or old, athletic friendly, etc. But with spiritual eyes we see each person we encounter as a whole person, created in the image of God, a fallen sinner (for sure), but a person for whom Christ died, and a person who will be raised on the last day.

Our physical eyes see sin and death, but by faith we know forgiveness, life and salvation belong to us.

Spiritual eyes recognize the devil’s voice tempting us to unbelief, despair, and other great shame and vice. Spiritual eyes recognizes the kind and gracious voice of Jesus in the Word of God read and preached.

Our physical eyes see only bread and wine on the altar, but spiritual eyes know that these are the Body and the Blood.

Remember when Jesus was called to the home of the ruler whose daughter had died. “She is not dead, but sleeping,” He said, and they all laughed. Their eyes saw death. Jesus looks with different eyes. He sees that she is sleeping.

Here’s a bit of Luther on this text (House Postil, Trinity 24):

Therefore learn from this Gospel-lesson, that in the sight of Christ death is nothing more than a sleep; as we here behold Him awakening the dead maid by the touch of His hand as from a mere sleep. Sickness also is no sickness before Him.

Before eyes of all others the maid was dead; but “before my eyes,” Christ says, “she lives and is asleep. David is in his own eyes and in the eyes of all men poor shepherd, but before me he is a king. And all of you who believe in me are poor sinners in your own eyes, but before me you are great saints and like the angels of God. For only a word is necessary, and sin, disease, and death must pass away and make room for righteousness, life, and health. As I speak so all things must be.”

Luther continues his preaching with this glorious encouragement:

In short, we are taught here not to look at our need according to human reason with carnal eyes, but with the eyes of faith. These are eyes which, when they behold sin, death, and hell, can nevertheless say with assurance: “I see no death, feel no sin, and am not condemned, but behold in Christ nothing but holiness, life, and salvation. Thus, when I am poor I feel no poverty; I feel as though I had plenty of everything; for I have Christ who can give me at all times all I need, though I possess nothing.

Whoever has eyes of this kind might glory in having Christian eyes. He would view things otherwise than the world does in times of famine or of pestilence. In times of famine everyone will look at his supply in cellar and granary, and feel according to the amount of that supply. If it be large he will feel happy; if small he will feel discouraged and despondent. So also in times of pestilence. Whoever then can flee will do so and seek safety at some other place. But a Christian who has a strong faith in Christ, would argue thus, “Though I were attacked if possible by a thousand pestilences, I will not fear death, because I have Christ. If it is His will, no pestilence shall harm me any more than a flee, which may bite and sting me a little, but cannot take my life.” And certainly if one could had such faith, he would feel secure, fear nothing, and be of good cheer. But because we do not believe and have no spiritual eyes, but look upon everything with carnal eyes, we are afraid and despondent, and are given to foolish thoughts, as though we could flee many miles from the wrath of God.

This was a theme Luther would return to in his writing. Here are a few passages to consider:

Therefore be very careful to distinguish properly between true and hypocritical righteousness or holiness. Then you will be able to look at the kingdom of Christ with eyes other than those that reason uses, that is, with spiritual eyes; and you will be able to assert with certainty that a saint is one who has been baptized and who believes in Christ. (LW 27:86, on Galatians 5:26)

Thus St. John pictures our dear baptism for us in this way, so that we shall not regard and look only at the clear Water, for, he says, Christ comes “not with water only (as the Anabaptists blaspheme, saying it is nothing but water) “but with the water and the blood” [1 John 5:6]. Through such words he desires to admonish us to see with spiritual eyes and see in baptism the beautiful, rosy-red blood of Christ, which flowed and poured from his holy side. And therefore he calls those who have been baptized none other than those who have been bathed and cleansed in this same rosy-red blood of Christ. (LW 51:325-326)

I hid not My face from shame and spitting. What does that spitting accomplish except extolling the wisdom of the world? Thus our face toward the world, if anyone will look at it with spiritual eyes, is so spit upon, so polluted by endless disgraces, that no profession is less imposing in the world than that of those who profess the Gospel. But for one disgrace a hundred glorious rays will one day appear, because the Lord Himself is present as our Helper. He strengthens, preserves, and liberates the hearers. (LW 17:194-195, On Isaiah 50:6)

We read the Scriptures and we look at the world with spiritual eyes, looking past what we see to what we learn from the Scriptures. We see last troubles to glory. We see past sin to righteousness. We see past the devil to the victory of the cross. We see past death to the resurrection and eternal life. We see past the rage of the devil and the hatred of the world to the smile of Jesus and the comfort of His promises.

How do we have these spiritual eyes? Where do we find them? These are a gift from the Holy Spirit, a part of the faith that He gives to us. “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing from the Word of God” (Romans 10:17). So we pray and trust that the Lord Jesus continues to “enlighten the eyes of our hearts that we may know the hope of His calling” (Ephesians 1:18). May God grant it through Christ Jesus.

Pastor Wolfmueller