Text: Luke 18:35-43 | Listen to Message
Eyes of Faith
“God, if you show me __________________, then I will …”
Do you ever find yourself thinking this way – as if you need to see in order to believe? Do you ever put conditions or prerequisites on your faith?
This is the way people were in Jesus’ day: “Lord, show us a sign and then we’ll believe that you’re the Messiah.” One of his own disciples, Thomas, went so far as to say he would never believe in the Resurrection unless or until he saw the risen Jesus with his own eyes (John 20:25). “We’ve got to see to believe, Jesus.”
Strictly speaking, this isn’t belief – or faith – at all. We use a different word when things have to be tested and proven to our five senses: it’s called science. And, while science and faith are not at odds with each other, they’re simply two different things. If something has been empirically proven to you, it doesn’t take any faith to accept it. Logic and reason are God-given gifts, but they’re not the same as faith.
The natural realm operates on the principle that seeing is believing. But Jesus says the spiritual realm works the opposite way: Salvation comes to those who understand that believing is seeing.
That’s the beauty of this short story in Luke 18:35-43 where Jesus encounters a man who simultaneously sees nothing … and everything! You see, the man is blind. He sees nothing. If faith were dependent on sight, he would never believe for he cannot see. And yet this blind man sees everything clearly through eyes of faith. By faith, he sees that Jesus is God’s Eternal King who’s come to set all things right. By faith, he sees that Jesus has the authority and the compassion to restore his sight. By faith, he sees that Jesus is about to do something by which he can receive God’s mercy.
Jesus sees this blind man’s persistent faith and he restores his sight. He makes the blind man a Technicolor illustration of John 20:29, where Jesus says, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
What about you? You would be wise to use the logic and reason God has given you in order to pursue him and learn about him through the pages of His Word. You would be wise to examine all the available evidence. But there will come a point where your eyes cannot see. There will come a time when science cannot answer the questions you have:
- Where did I come from?
- What’s my purpose?
- Where am I going?
- What’s God like?
- How can anyone be saved?
In these moments – and in all your moments – let faith in Christ carry you far beyond what your physical eyes can see. Let God open the eyes of your heart to discern all truth and to trust Him and love Him more deeply!
Sermon Notes & Application Questions