Eyes That See

By Turning Point with Dr. David Jeremiah 

[I pray that] the eyes of your understanding [may be] enlightened. Ephesians 1:18

When Jesus’ disciples asked Him why He spoke to the people in parables, He quoted Isaiah 6:9-10 as an explanation. Centuries before Jesus’ ministry, God levied judgment upon Israel for her sins and failure to repent. They would be able to see and hear physically but not spiritually. They would hear but not “understand” and see but not “perceive” spiritual truth. Jesus spoke in parables to separate the spiritually hungry who would seek to understand His parables from those who were not spiritually curious (Matthew 13:13-16).

Isaiah 6:9-10,

9 And He said, “Go, and tell this people:

‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand;

Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’

10 “Make the heart of this people dull, And their ears heavy, And shut their eyes; Lest they see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And return and be healed.”

When Paul wrote to the Ephesians, he wrote to people who needed their spiritual eyes opened by the power of the Spirit. After the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost, it was possible to gain new insight and understanding into the things of God. What was previously unknown and not understood was made clear through the Spirit’s enlightenment (1 Corinthians 2:9-10). So Paul prayed that the spiritual eyes of the Ephesians would be opened to know God better.

Spiritual enlightenment is not like flipping a switch—a one-time event. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you more and more of God every day and what He has provided in Christ.

Repentance is the tear in the eye of faith. Dwight L. Moody