LORD, open the eyes of these men so they can see.

 

Tuesday, October 24, 2023


Psalms 130; 131; 133

2 Kings 6:8-23

Matthew 15:21-39


Observance: United Nations, inaugurated 1945


LORD, open the eyes of these men so they can see.


One of the primary markers of the Messiah is that the blind receive their sight (Isaiah 35:5–6, 61:1; Matt 11:5; Luke 7:22). Many false prophets and false messiahs, anti-Christs and wolves in sheep’s clothing stalk around, seeking to deceive. But if once we were blind, and now we can see, we know that this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes.


The enemy army were struck with blindness – some sort of supernatural blindness. They could still see, or at least they thought they could. They followed Elisha, not knowing he was whom they sought. Elisha led them to the major city of Samaria, into the presence of the king of Israel. Not only were these men spared their lives, but were given a lavish feast and a victor’s reception, all from the hands of the man to whom they intended harm.


Jesus’ message of the good news of the kingdom of heaven seems wrong to carnal minds. A religious obsessive from the outer towns of a border region of the empire, hung on an execution stake until He died – hardly an inspirational story for the spiritual seeker. But Jesus is Lord and God, and as He ascended into heaven after His resurrection, He keeps finding more of us to take up with Him.


The Holy Spirit has been sent by the Lord Jesus to find the rest of God’s people and bring them home. We are the ones who were lost and now are found. Indeed, we were lost, and blind: we thought we knew what we were doing and where we were going, but then Jesus opened our eyes, and now we see God’s purposes in all its dazzling glory.


There are plenty more of us out there. Just as God sent people into our lives in order to bring us home, so too have we been given a list of names of the blind, to seek out, and to bring the sight of God Almighty. When we speak God’s love, we are speaking spiritual healing. We cure spiritual blindness. Lord, open the eyes of all, so that the whole earth may see you.

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