Truth Seekers Newsletter
August 19, 2007: The Eyes – The Windows to the Soul
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Today we begin our consideration of the windows and doors of the body. The human body has a very fancy internal communication system, but it also has a very sophisticated system of communication between the outside and the inside of the body.
We are the Gatekeeper of the Body!
What goes into the body has a great bearing on what comes out. While God takes care of many functions of the body for us, remember that God really likes to work in partnership with us.
One of the important jobs that God has given us is to be a gatekeeper of all that goes into the body. Today we will look at two of those entry points into the body, the magnificent eyes. Many things that go to the brain for interpretation come first through the eyes.
Small, But Powerful!
The eye, while relatively small in comparison to some other parts of the body, is very important. Jesus addressed this importance in Luke 11:34. The Living Bible puts it this way: "Your eyes light up your inward being. A pure eye lets sunshine into your soul!"
Your Eye is a Camera!
It is important that what we allow into the body is Light and not darkness. The eyes work like a camera. If you want to get a good picture, first of all, you must have a good subject. Then you must have enough light to light up your subject. If you do not have enough light, the picture of your subject will not be clear.
What we want for the Body of Christ is Jesus, the Light of the World. He is both a wonderful Subject and The Light.
Focus
The front parts of the eye are for focusing. If the light that comes into the eye is not focused, the picture will not be clear at all. What could this have to do with the Body of Christ?
It is the job of some members of the Body to bring the Light to the Body. It is the job of others to focus that Light. For every new Christian, who has just been introduced to the Light, there need to be people who will walk with them and help them understand how that Light applies to their individual situation. Once again, we see the importance of different members of the Body of Christ and how they work together in a common Mission.
Shape
There is fluid in the eye. There is a watery fluid in the front of the eye. It is called the aqueous humor. There is a more gel like fluid in the back part of the eye. It is called the vitreous humor. They both serve many functions. One interesting function of the vitreous humor is that it gives the eye shape.
What could this have to do with the Body of Christ? Once the Light has come into the Body and has been focused, it needs to be shaped. There need to be members of the Body, who will help new members find their niche ... where they fit. Interestingly enough, our church has a program called SHAPE, where members help others find where they can best fit in the Body.
Recording the Picture
Way at the back of the eye is the film of the camera. It is called the retina. After all that traveling, the light comes to reside on the retina. What a marvelous part of the body this is!
Embedded in the retina are millions of light sensitive cells, just waiting for the light. Some of these help create color. Others help with fine detail. Some help with day time vision. Some help with night time vision.
It is in the retina that the picture really comes to life! The light is converted to an electric signal that is relayed to the brain via the optic nerve. The brain then translates the electrical signals into the images we see.
Changed from Glory to Glory!
The light has become more than just light. It has been transformed into something new that brings life to the body. It communicates what was outside into the brain itself and the brain interprets this into what we process as sight.
The goal of any member of the Body of Christ is to first receive the Light, then to be focused, then to be shaped and finally to come alive with color and sharpness and to be able to pass on real Life!
Garbage In! Garbage Out!
A camera or in this case, an eye, can only take a picture of that on which it was focused. You can’t take a picture of a dog and expect the brain to say, "Yep, that is a cat."
In the Body of Christ, you can’t take pictures all week of subjects displeasing to God and then show up on Sunday and present your work to God, and have Him say, "Yep, that’s My Work." God won’t send that message! The photograph album of your week is going to show the true pictures you took.
It Was Right In Front Of His Eyes All The Time!
Is it possible that you could have something right in front of your eyes and still not see it? In class, we passed around a picture. The picture was deliberately designed to be seen in different ways. Some people looked and saw a young girl. Others looked and saw an old woman. Sometimes we don’t see something until the Lord shows us how to look in a new way.
In Genesis 21:19, Hagar thought she was a goner. But then God "opened her eyes" and she saw a well."
In another entertaining story, God proved that sometimes, even donkeys see better than we do, when we are stubborn. Numbers 22:31 records how Balaam’s vision got instantly better when the Lord opened his eyes.
In class, we discussed situations in which we really thought we had looked at something in the only way it could possibly be seen, but then God opened our eyes and we saw something entirely different.
Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus!
We discussed the importance of having a good subject for our picture. Psalm 25:15 tells us Who our subject should be. David, the Psalmist said, "My eyes are ever on the Lord."
What made the difference in whether Peter was walking on water or going for a swim? It all came down to where he directed his eyes. As long as he was looking at Jesus, he walked on water. When he looked at the winds and waves, and he began to record another picture, his brain responded with doubt.
Old With Perfect Eyesight!
There are plenty of examples within the Bible of people who got old and could not see very well. However, there is one notable example of one who got old and yet could see perfectly ... Moses!
Moses made mistakes in his life, but overall, he kept his eyes on the Lord. In fact, it was said of him that he communicated with God, face to face. Because of a major mistake Moses made in not giving glory to God in front of his people, God would not let Moses enter the Promised Land. God was true to His Nature by judging sin. However, God was also true to His Nature in showing compassion.
He allowed Moses that perfect eye sight to see the Promised Land and to know that he had led his people to the land they would possess.
The Fountains of the Eyes!
Eyes provide the overflow of the fountain within. Tears water the outside of the eye and wash away impurities. They are the body’s system of irrigation. Tears also provide emotional release. We cry when we are happy or when we are sad (or when it is allergy season!).
How do tears work in the Body of Christ? We need to keep our lamps clean on the outside, so we can shine the Light inside of us. We must also move impurities far from the Body. Note, our tears are not used to squirt into the eyes of someone else to cleanse them. They are used in our own eyes to get rid of impurities.
What did Jesus say about judging others? Don’t! What did He say about examining ourselves? Do it! He put it rather graphically when He told us not to be concerned about the speck in another person’s eye and ignore the moat in our own!
Even Jesus had tears. The shortest verse in the Bible is John 11:35. Jesus wept! But there is coming a time when there will be no more tears. Read Revelations 21:4. Why no more tears at the end of time? There will be no more impurities that need to be washed away.
God’s Eyes
Does God have eyes? Psalm 34:15 tells us that the "eyes of the Lord are on the righteous." We are told that God never slumbers nor sleeps. His eyes are on you all the time. That may be the most comforting thought you ever have or your worst nightmare.
Proverbs 5:21 tells us that a man’s ways are in full view of the Lord and He examines all his paths. Deuteronomy 12:28 reminds of to be careful to obey the commands of the Lord because we will be "doing what is good and right in the eyes of the Lord {our} God."
Eye Lids, Another Wonderful Protective Mechanism
God never closes His Eyes, but He has provided us with wonderful protection as always. When something comes near our precious eyes, our eye lids react in a split second to close and protect us; that is called a blink.
When we go to sleep at night, our eye lids gently cover our eyes, keeping them moist and helping to dim the light, so we can sleep.
Know When to Put the Shades Up!
Jesus grieved over those, who did not recognize Him, because they had closed their eyes. In the Body of Christ, some of us are eye lids, whose job it is to protect the members of the Body, to help bring them rest and sleep when they need it. But we must be very careful not to shut out the Light when it is needed.
Jesus’ Message to His Body!
In Matthew 13:16, Jesus said, "Blessed are your eyes because they see!" As members of the Body of Christ, it is our Mission to participate in the overall Mission of Christ’s Body ... to bring the Light into the Body. You have received Jesus’ Light. Now pass it on to the Body!
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