Seeing Jesus through the eyes of our heart and mind- to fight for joy in God

There are ample Scriptures which talks about two different kinds of sight; eyes of the heart, and the eyes of the mind; Matt: 13:13; Eze: 12:2; Jer: 5:21.

Therefore, speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:  For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them; Mat 13:13-15.

Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house; Eze 12:2.

Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not: Jer 5:21.

Seeing is essential because, God is glorified by being seen because this involves understanding, and God communicates in the hearts of people who can see. God’s glory is revealed in the nature; The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge” Ps 19:1-2.

Paul says, that the ‘invisible attributes of God in this Universe display God’s glory; For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so, that they are without excuse: Rom:1:20. When we look at God’s display of His glory from the minutest atom to the supernova, we clearly see the glory of God with much joy. It is our ungodliness and unrighteousness, whereby we suppress the truth; “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness”; Rom 1:18, and that becomes tragic. This joy killing blindness, the veil can be removed in the presence of Christ, which is through the good news of the Gospel. While Satan can do all that, he can to hinder us from enjoying that joy, when the light shines in our hearts, that gives the knowledge of the glory of God; But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ; 2 Cori:4:3-6.

God also reveals Himself through His Word, and the relationship between the Word and the glory of God is explained in Exodus 33-34; when Moses asked God in Mt. Sinai to show God’s glory to him. When we hear the Word of God, and when the hearing succeeds, we begin to see His glory, because it is written, Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the Word of God; Rom 10:17. Being enthralled in God’s glory brings ultimate joy to a believer, and is a special gift of God, and we are constantly being transformed in to His image and into His glory. Jesus expressed the love of Christ for His Disciples, in His final prayer in John 13. “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world”; Jn 17:24.  Seeing Jesus with the eyes of our heart is very much related to knowing Him; “And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God” Eph:3:19. So, our challenge is, to fight to see and enjoy the glory of the ‘Risen Christ’.

References:

Piper, John. When I don’t desire God: How to fight for joy (Wheaton: IL, Crossway Books,2004).

The Matthew Henry Study Bible, King James version: The best of Matthew Henry’s Notes in a Handy One Volume Reference Bible, (Iowa Falls, U.S.A, World Bible Publishers, Inc; 1994).