Our eyes are amazing and without them you could not see the world around you. Vision is truly a blessing from God. In the Scriptures the Lord compares our eyes to spiritual vision. We need to say, Jesus, open my eyes.
Matthew 6:22“Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. 23 But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is! [1]
“The eye is the lamp of the body” means that through the eyes the body receives light, allowing it to move. In the Old Testament, the “eye” denoted the direction of a person’s life. “Good” eyes focus on God.”[2] Here Jesus is describing the “spiritual vision” His disciples should have had. Proper spiritual vision requires us to see clearly what God wants us to do and to see the world from His point of view.
The Crowd Needed Their Eyes Opened
In the story of the feeding of the 5000, what do we learn about the people’s spiritual vision? Do we, like the crowd, want to make Jesus into something He is not? John 6:10 “Tell everyone to sit down,” Jesus said. So they all sat down on the grassy slopes. (The men alone numbered about 5,000.) 11 Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterward he did the same with the fish. And they all ate as much as they wanted. 12 After everyone was full, Jesus told his disciples, “Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted.” 13 So they picked up the pieces and filled twelve baskets with scraps left by the people who had eaten from the five barley loaves.
14 When the people saw him do this miraculous sign, they exclaimed, “Surely, he is the Prophet we have been expecting!” 15 When Jesus saw that they were ready to force him to be their king, he slipped away into the hills by himself. [3]
The people did not understand that Jesus did not come to be the King of their nation, but to be the king of their hearts. Jesus gives us more insight about His purpose for coming into the world. Matthew 20:28For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” [4]
We Need Jesus to Open our Eyes
We, as sinful humans, often want to make God in our image. The people of our story thought a King who could feed them would make their lives much easier. To have the proper spiritual vision is an ongoing spiritual battle we all face this side of eternity. But remember, with God all things are possible.
The Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus that he was praying about their hearts so they would have proper spiritual vision. Ephesians 1:18 I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. [5]
So, as we pray for God’s guidance in our everyday lives, let’s not forget to ask Him to keep our spiritual eyes open and the eyes of our hearts towards Him. For in Him we live and move and have our being.
To hear more about the feeding of the 5000, listen here:
[1,3-5] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation . Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
[2] Barton, B. B. (1996). Matthew (pp. 121–122). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.