20/20

20/20

“Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I tell you that many

prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it.”

Luke 10:24

If you’ve never gotten on your hands and knees to search for glasses that slipped off when you fell asleep, or never had to stop to clean off fogged up glasses on a below freezing day, you might not understand having a genuine appreciation for the gift of good eyesight. Those who need corrective lenses, who wear glasses or contacts every day and not just for reading, often have a very different perspective on their vision; a perspective that is eye-opening and enlightening.

For me it was the beginning of 5^th grade when the blackboard was no longer close enough to see. And it was only a few years later, before the days of thinner, tempered lenses, when I was wearing genuine coke bottle sized glasses to be able to see clearly. Their importance and my dependence on them was never as clear as when a wave knocked my glasses off in the ocean off Atlantic Ocean several years ago. The panic that set in was incredible; not being able to see anything until a new pair could be made, not being able to drive at all, all brought about a tremendous sense of insecurity. And when Nancy miraculously stepped on them as we frantically searched the sandy bottom, my relief and thankfulness have never been greater.

We should be equally grateful for all the things we are able to see in the Lord. The Old Testament saints never had the cross to look to as a constant reminder of God’s love for them. How often do we see the cross as the ultimate indication of just how much God loves each one of us? How often, in the moments of discouragement and doubt, does a vision of the cross and its message of sacrificial love minister life to our souls. It is with that in mind that Jesus wrote “blessed are the eyes that see what you see.”

How about seeing the fruit of your labor in your children’s lives as they grow and mature? And what about seeing a changed life, a man or woman who came to Christ with baggage of every possible kind but has allowed the love of Christ and the power of God to totally transform and free them? Seeing someone being water baptized who we shared the gospel with, watching as a couple we know dedicate their baby to the Lord, and seeing the joy on the faces of the bride and groom only represent a few of the things that we are so privileged to see. All that we are graced to see, more than words can describe, is a reason to pause and say thank you Lord for eyes that are able to see and for vision that allows me to perceive your great love.

God Bless

Pastor Joe

Gateway Church