What Jesus said About

Spiritual Eyes

Adapted from the series, “Jesus Said” by Michael Wiley

http://www.sermoncloud.com/the-vine/what-jesus-said-about-spiritual-eyes/

Matthew 13:13 ESV This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear,

nor do they understand. 14 Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is

fulfilled that says:"'"You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will

indeed see but never perceive." 15 For this people's heart has grown dull, and

with their ears they can barely hear,

and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.' 16 But blessed are your eyes, for they

see, and your ears, for they hear. 17 For truly, I say to you, many prophets and

righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what

you hear, and did not hear it.

Mark 8:17 ESV And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, "Why are you discussing

the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are

your hearts hardened? 18 Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves for the five

thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" They

said to him, "Twelve."

I am not an eye person. That is, I usually do not notice people’s eye color. I wouldn’t bet I would have the right

answer if pressed to tell you what color Gayla’s eyes are. I see them every day,

almost all day & she’s told me, but I can’t remember.

Now Gayla’s an eye person. She said the first thing she noticed about me was my

blue eyes. She always talks about her Dad’s blue eyes. I would say she was a

blue eyed red head…notice I said “was.” The red hair is gone & she doesn’t have

the energy or desire to mess with bringing it back from a bottle.

Some people have eyes that look perfectly normal but they do not work perfectly normal. Some of you have

worn glasses since you were children. Some (like me) had to start when adults. My eyes seem to be getting worse. Gayla

says it’s a natural chronological progression or something like that.

Some people’s eyes do not work at all. In 2011, 6,636,900 Americans were legally

blind. This does not count the many that are illegally blind and afraid to come

forward. The term “legally blind” simply means a person has essentially 20/200 or less in the better eye which is blind enough to

receive government benefits for the blind.

In this “Jesus Said” series of sermons we have found out that Jesus had a lot

to say about a lot of topics. Today in this series we find that Jesus had something

to say about eyesight.

He said, (to paraphrase) “Just because you have eyes and can see doesn’t

mean you can see what is really important. To see what is really

important – you must have spiritual eyes.”

We are going to look at two texts today – two conversations Jesus had with his

Disciples…

Matthew 13:10 ESV Then the disciples came and said to him, "Why do you

speak to them in parables?" 11 And he answered them, "To you it has been

given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For to the one who

has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has

not, even what he has will be taken away.

13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: "'"You will indeed hear but

never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive."

15 For this people's heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed,

lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with

their heart and turn, and I would heal them.'

16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 17 For truly, I say to you, many prophets and

righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what

you hear, and did not hear it.Jesus said, there are two reasons for

parables.The first reason for parables Jesus says

is:

To Conceal

11b "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven,

but to them it has not been given.Who is the “them?”

The unbelievers!We conceal things!

We might conceal a habit or behavior from others because we don’t want them

to know.

We might conceal a big surpriseChristmas & Birthdays we all give gifts.

But, not every gift will really surprise someone.

You may wonder why God would conceal a spiritual truth with a parable. You may read into this that God gives understanding to who He chooses and

keeps the rest in the dark.

Then Jesus quotes Isaiah 6:9 ESV And he said, "Go, and say to 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

blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and

understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed."

Divine sovereignty and personal responsibility are carefully balanced in

this passage. Jesus is saying that a certain understanding is open to Jesus’ followers and not open to everyone else.God, if you will, confirms people in their hard-heartedness. If you choose to live

in disobedience God is going to withhold from you the divine secrets of

the Kingdom.

So whereas unbelievers will find disillusion in parables those whose

hearts are open to God will find much nourishment.

That brings us to the second reason Jesus gives for parables. That is:

To Reveal

Matthew 13:16 ESV But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 17 For truly, I say to you,

many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not

see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

Do you realize that even the most faithful and enlightened saints of the Old

Testament were not given the insights that are available to every believer

today?1 Peter 1:10 ESV Concerning this

salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours

searched and inquired carefully,

11 inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of

Christ and the subsequent glories. 12 It was revealed to them that they were

serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to

you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent

from heaven, things into which angels long to look.

Even the angels longed to look into what has been revealed to us! Since we have the good news, 13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace

that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

John 1:9 ESV The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into

the world.You see, the one who accepts the ‘true

light’ of John 1:9 will receive even further light as they grow.

Part of the Lord’s ministry was to give understanding to His word—a ministry, by-the-way that was picked up by the Holy Spirit beginning with Pentecost.

We like to have things revealed to us. We generally hate to be left in the dark. We

want to know. If there is a deep conversation in the room and we are not

involved we will either interject or at least ease drop so we know what is

going on.

One of the most telling moments of this part of our nature is when a group of

people are laughing at something and we don’t know what it is.

I must know! Partly because I want to laugh too and partly because I want to make sure they are not laughing at me!

BUT, when it comes to spiritual things an unbeliever will not only want to stay in the dark, but will believe they are in an

enlightened position, a privileged position.

They think those religious Bible thumpers that have thrown reason to the wind and believe all that mumbo-jumbo, fictitious, spiritual stuff that no-one can

prove are the ones in the darkness.

As Jesus said in John 3, men love the darkness because they know that the

light will expose them.

Oh, the feeling in the pit of my stomach when I accepted a full time position as a Minister. How in the world was I going to come up with something to say each and

every Sunday?

And, Sunday after Sunday? And in those days it was Sunday morning, something

different Sunday evening. Thank goodness one of the Elders taught

Sunday school.

My continual prayer was for the Lord to show what to study, help me to prepare

& preach what He desired.

How do I have these spiritual eyes that Jesus is talking about?

The answer to that question is given in Mark 8:13-21, the second passage I want

to look at.

Mark 8:13 ESV And he left them, got into the boat again, and went to the other

side. 14 Now they had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. 15 And he cautioned

them, saying, "Watch out; beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven

of Herod." 16 And they began discussing with one another the fact that they had

no bread.

17 And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, "Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts

hardened? 18 Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear?

And do you not remember?

19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" They

said to him, "Twelve." 20 "And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you

take up?" And they said to him, "Seven." 21 And he said to them, "Do you not yet

understand?"

Spiritual Eyes

Jesus had just finished feeding the four thousand people. He had already fed

another group of five thousand.The development of spiritual eyes

begins with something as simple as faith.

FAITH – The complete definition of that word eludes us.What is faith?

The writer of Hebrews says this;Hebrews 11:1 ESV Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the

conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the people of old received their

commendation. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the

word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

4 By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. 5 By faith Enoch

was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because

God had taken him.

Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. 6

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw

near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

7 By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in

reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household.

By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that

comes by faith. 8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to

a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not

knowing where he was going.

Let’s stop at Abraham. I stop there because Paul called Abraham “the father

of all who believe.”Galatians 3:5 ESV Does he who supplies

the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or

by hearing with faith— 6 just as Abraham "believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness"?

7 Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. 8 And the

Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham,

saying, "In you shall all the nations be blessed." 9 So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham,

the man of faith.

Out of all the faithful men in the Bible,Abraham is given such a title.

Why?

Listen to just the beginning of his story from Genesis 12.

Genesis 12:1 ESV Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will

bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.

3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." 4 So Abram went, as the LORD had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old

when he departed from Haran.

God told Abram to do one thing, Leave.

What is faith? Here it is. If you want to know what faith is there is no better man to consult than the father of the faithful. Here it is: Believe God’s promises and

act on them!I’m sorry it is not profound. I’m sorry I can’t sing it with rhyme and rhythm or

click it off my tongue with wit and ware.

It’s not my fault. You may want God’s central truths to be difficult to

understand but they are not. Why?Why do we do that? Why do we

constantly struggle to understand things of God that are so simple? Is it because

we want to play ignorant before God hoping He will hold us less responsible? God if you withhold your truths from me

then I won’t have to live up to them!

Faith is: To Believe God’s Promises and Act on Them.

If you say you believe and do not act, James says your faith is DEAD.In other words, it doesn’t exist.

James 2:17 ESV So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, "You have faith and I

have works."

Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons

believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that

faith apart from works is useless?James 4:17 ESV So whoever knows the

right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

Faith

Faith that God is who he says he is. Faith is the threshold of spiritual

maturity. Without faith you will not even get in the door of understanding God’s

truths for you.

Faith that God will do what he said he would do. Faith that even though God chose not to save my father in the car wreck or my mother when she had a brain aneurism, I will see them again

someday in paradise.We try to understand God with our

intellect but God is understood through simple, easy to understand faith.

John MacArthur said, “All men are either progressing or regressing spiritually. No person remains static in his relationship

with God. The longer a person knows and is faithful to Christ the more his

Lord is faithful to reveal His truth and power…

[BUT] When a man says no to God, God says no to that person. God confirms men in their stubbornness and binds

them with their own chains of unbelief.” (Matthew 8-16 – Moody 1987, pp. 352)

Much of our human eyesight problems can’t be cured, but they can be corrected

through lenses we call glasses or contacts.

Man has no fix however for Spiritual Eyesight Problems. I can’t put a solution in your heart to dilate your perception. I can’t write you a prescription that will fix your disobedience of God’s truths, your

rejections of His promises.

I can however, lead you to the one who can. But, you must approach Him with faith. When you do so, He will answer

the prayer of the Psalmist, who prayed,

Psalms 119:18 ESV Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your

law.