The Heaton File

Thursday Morning Thankfulness – New Testament Epistles

Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith, from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk, desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm. (1 Timothy 1:5-7)

Three Pillars Of Love

The heart, the conscience and faith are the fundamental elements of man’s character. Seated in these three parts of life are the building blocks of truth. Love is the motivation that drives the spirit of man but love must be governed by the right things. Unguarded love or misplaced love will allow a spirit of darkness to destroy the soul. The commandments of the Lord are the guides put in place to perfect the heart, conscience and faith of a man leading him to truth. This was true in the garden of Eden and remains true today.

A pure heart is one that receives openly the will of God. When a heart is free from the pollutions of man’s wisdom it is easier to accept the commandments of the Lord. So often men cannot understand nor desire to follow the truth because the heart is not pure. The idea of purity suggests a heart free from contamination. Whenever someone obeys the gospel of Jesus Christ it comes from a heart that is pure. Love comes from a pure heart. On the day of Pentecost three thousand hearts were pure in accepting the bold preaching of the apostles. Many thousand more did not obey because their hearts were tainted with prejudice, tradition, immorality and a stubborn spirit. It takes a pure heart for the love of Christ to enter.

The conscience is the seat of the mind establishing life principles. A moral character is formed in the conscience and love for God comes from determining what is right and wrong by His word. Ethics must come from some source and obedience to the will of the Lord derives its nature from the word of God. A good conscience is true to the convictions of truth willing to fulfill every moral obligation in accordance with what God wants not man. Love springs from hearts that bow before the great I AM and say, “Thy will be done not mine.”

Faith is not just faith but a sincere faith. It is not passive but active. Sincerity of faith shows the level of our trust deeply rooted in our love for God. This is a daily activity. The kind of faith that becomes sincere is experienced constantly in life by trusting in His word, following His will, living by His law and looking for the blessed hope of His coming. Sincerity is unfeigned. Faith does not become a prosthetic that is worn periodically but rather faith is who we are. Our identity is measured by our faithfulness. In speech we are faithful; in dress we show faithfulness; in action we exhibit a faithful spirit. Faith is the core of our life and is not hypocritical.

True love comes from heart that is pure, a conscience deriving its character from God and a faith that shines forth as the glory of God. This kind of love will keep one from straying from the truth. Without these three pillars of love apostasy comes. The wisdom of man exalts itself against God and faith is lost. Perfection in Christ is found in establishing life upon the three pillars of love: a pure heart, a good conscience and a sincere faith.

While we inherit our temperament, we must build our character. (William L. Sullivan, Worry! Fear! Loneliness! 1950)

Tuesday Morning Early Start – Important Doctrines

For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, “Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.” And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. For men indeed swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is for them an end of all dispute. Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. (Hebrews 6:13-20)

The Unbroken Promise

Abraham believed in the impossible. The promises God made to him were beyond his understanding. He is a powerful testimony to what abiding faith and trust can do to a man’s life. First the Lord told him to leave his country and family traveling to a place he did not know. Abraham obeyed. Remarkably he was promised a son. It did not matter that he was seventy-five years old when the promise was made and the promise of an heir would come when he turned a century old but Abraham believed. His faith was tested severely when this same God of promise told him to kill his only beloved son in a blood sacrifice. He never wavered nor hesitated. There was in the mind of Abraham an understanding of how great God was. Whether he understood the promises of the Lord fully was not the important thing for Abraham. He trusted the word of the Lord. A promise was made by God and he knew that God would never lie. Time and again he saw the promises of God come true and every time Abraham gave his life in trust to the Lord he was securely held within the word of the promise. God never failed him once.

These stories of old are preserved to show all men today the promises of God are real. Every time the Lord made a promise He held to His word as immutable. Unchanging was the word of God because He would fulfill all the promises He made to man. The Hebrew writer is extoling the virtues of God that it is impossible for Him to lie. Think about that very deeply. There are many honest men today who seldom ever lie. This is not the same. When we speak of the character of the Heavenly Father we are describing a God whom it is impossible to lie. When a promise is made there is an absolute assurance the word will be fulfilled. What God says will come to pass. What a joy to know a God that is a God of promise.

Having the promises of the Lord before us we can rest assured that what He says will come to pass. Salvation is not a ‘maybe doctrine’ but a real promise given by the One that cannot lie. Often a child of God will hope that maybe they will be saved. The character of the Lord assures the salvation of the believer because He cannot lie. Redemption is not a wayward anchor but one fastened firmly to the rock of promise. It is sure and it is steadfast. Embracing the promises of the Lord is accepting our need for His grace, His mercy and His love to allow us to abide with Him in eternal glory. He does not want his children to think that Heaven is only a one in ten chance but a 100% promise given by a God that does not lie. Our strong comfort is found in the knowledge that we are saved. The unbroken promise of God is given to all those who obey Him and who walk in the steps of His Son, Jesus Christ. There is a crown that has my name on it. Thank you God.

God never draws anyone to Himself by force and violence. He wishes all men to be saved, but forces no one. (John Chrysostom, Sermon, c388)

Monday Morning Coffee Break – Life With Jesus

And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. So He said, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.” (Luke 21:1-4)

Jesus Cares For The Impoverished

The temple was a very busy place. People were constantly flowing in and around to offer worship to the Lord, make sacrifices in accordance to the Law and bring their gifts for the treasury. Jesus spent a lot of time in the Temple teaching. The chief priests, scribes and elders debated Him, challenging Him to trap Him in His words. The Sadducees debated the resurrection with the Lord. In all of this busy activity of teaching Jesus took notice of a certain poor widow. For most people she did not exist. When she came to the Temple few if any would take notice. Her clothing would be unkempt as she quietly moved among the crowd. Some would she her only as a bother for being in their way. The religious elite never knew she existed.

Jesus saw how the rich put their gifts in the Temple box. There was an air of superiority with the abundance of these gifts. Men dressed in splendid clothing brought great sums of money to deposit with lavish flair into the treasury. These were the nobles of the day. Their gifts were fully recognized by one and all. No one took notice of the poor widow but Jesus. While the rich lauded their self-righteous lives a quiet figure approached the box and from tattered clothing drew out two mites. The mite was the ‘penny’ of her day. She did not have a ‘dollar’ to her name but she gave all she had and that was only ‘two cents.’ Jesus said her gift was of greater value than all the abundance of those who had so much to give. He noticed the poor widow.

We live in a world that can be harsh. Like the days of Jesus those with an abundance of things can be noticed and those with little forgotten. The story of the widow’s mites goes beyond the amount of her gift. It shows the Lord notices the downtrodden, the afflicted, and the poor. He sees what they have and what they do. The world sees a picture very different from what the Lord sees. He is not interested in the abundance of man’s possessions but the abundance of a man’s heart. The rich of His day relied upon transient things for their happiness. The widow just loved God and wanted to give Him something she really needed more than Him. Yet her heart was willing to give all she had. Jesus saw her in a crowd. He took notice. He loved her.

There is nothing today that Jesus will not take notice of. He sees us for who we are. He understands all our needs and wants. His heart is touched by our sorrow. The hand of the Lord reaches forth for those who are troubled. Our poverty of spirit is revealed to Him and He blesses us with His presence. Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury but He really noticed the poor widow. He takes notice of me and that is such a comfort. Thank you Lord for seeing me.

We do not usually learn that Christ is all we need until we reach that place where He is all we have. (Vance Havner; 1901-1986)

Sunday Morning Starters – Our Father In Heaven

Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples! Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; talk of all His wondrous works! Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord! Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His face evermore! Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth, (1 Chronicles 16:8-12)

There Is Nothing Like Singing Praises To God

One of the greatest gifts given to man is the ability to communicate. With the tongue man is able to share knowledge, express love in a deeper way, recount stories of courage and talk of the wonderful blessings of his Creator. Speech is the central character of man as it expresses the meanings of the heart. The power of the tongue is evident by the manner the Lord dispersed man across the earth when He confused their language at Babel. Throughout the generations of worship the voice is lifted to God in praise. He wants us to talk to him. His desire is to hear the words of His children. Singing is the magnificent tool of God’s creation that makes the heart fill with the grace of the Lord.

What a joy singing is. Much is made about the way we sing with timing, tempo, and tune. While these elements are important we should never leave the impression the Lord is impressed by grandiose voices of operatic proficiency. It may be that many people do not sing because they “do not have a good voice” and so become timid in their worship. This is sad. The Lord’s ear wants to hear hearts singing praise – not mouths singing in perfect pitch. Joy is found in singing praises to God from lives that are moved with the bounty of God’s grace in hymns, His love in the psalms of praise and voices that fill the air with spiritual songs. Blending voices together with fellow saints is a most exhilarating experience.

Songs are written to move the heart. The book of Psalms is a wonderful example of how much the people of God loved to praise Him. Modern day hymn writers place words and music together bringing harmony with the word of God in a joyful expression of praise. When we gather and sing together it is a true foretaste of the eternal joy of singing around the throne of the Almighty. We should all sing no matter how we sound. Our Lord wants to hear us. He wants to know what is in our hearts. We need to desire spending time with one another in song. How beautiful the voices of the saved blending together in wonderful praise to our God who loves us. What a joy it is to sing.

Music is a tonic for the saddened soul, a roaring meg (cannon) against melancholy, to rear and revive the languishing soul. (Robert Burton, The Anatomy of Melancholy, 1621)

Saturday Morning Promises – Great Stories

Now when Jehu had come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she put paint on her eyes and adorned her head, and looked through a window. Then, as Jehu entered at the gate, she said, “Is it peace, Zimri, murderer of your master?” And he looked up at the window, and said, “Who is on my side? Who?” So two or three eunuchs looked out at him. Then he said, “Throw her down.” So they threw her down, and some of her blood spattered on the wall and on the horses; and he trampled her underfoot. And when he had gone in, he ate and drank. Then he said, “Go now, see to this accursed woman, and bury her, for she was a king’s daughter.” So they went to bury her, but they found no more of her than the skull and the feet and the palms of her hands. Therefore they came back and told him. And he said, “This is the word of the Lord, which He spoke by His servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, ‘On the plot of ground at Jezreel dogs shall eat the flesh of Jezebel; and the corpse of Jezebel shall be as refuse on the surface of the field, in the plot at Jezreel, so that they shall not say, ‘Here lies Jezebel.’” (2 Kings 9:30-37)

Evil Tyrants Will Not Last

History is filled with the horror of war as nations plunge the world into chaos, death and destruction. The generation of the Second World War is quickly passing away. These brave people lived in a time when the world was literally at war with one another. In America there was great fear as to the outcome. Hindsight does not give the sense of fear that pervaded the nation when battle fields were drawn all around the world. Reports coming in from the fighting listed tens of thousands of young men and women dying. This was death on a global scale. The threat of the Third Reich to the east and the horror of the Japanese Empire to the west were incomprehensible. There was never a time in the history of man that so much death ruled the world.

The end of the European conflict came on May 8, 1945 and with the final surrender of Japan on September 2, 1945. Since then the world has plunged into war repeatedly with fear today of ISIS and terrorist. Despots have risen in our life time that brings fear. America has been rocked with the events of 911. Through the media we have witnessed beheadings, massacres and war again on a global scale. Is there hope? Can we find an answer to this terrible feeling of doom?

Turning to the stories of the Old Testament an eternal principle is repeated over and over. During the reign of Ahab and Jezebel the people of Israel suffered terribly. There were few people who were as wicked as Ahab and Jezebel. Filling the land with the worship of idols they murdered any who stood in their way. In Jezreel a man named Naboth was murdered so the king could have a vegetable garden. This did not go unnoticed by the Lord and through the prophet Elijah Ahab and Jezebel were warned that punishment would come. Ahab died by the hand of an unknown archer who shot an arrow at random striking Ahab between the joints of his armor. Later Jehu, newly anointed king of Israel, came to Jezreel and had Jezebel thrown from an upper window where he trampled her under foot. When they came to bury her there was little left to find. Justice had found its mark. Ahab and Jezebel came to an end.

The judgment of the Lord is unchanged for our modern world. We see the threat of doom all around us wondering how long it will endure. There has always been the plague of wickedness but righteousness always triumphs. Darkness can never overtake light. Sin will grow worse and worse but judgment will come. It always comes. The evil that men do today will take the lives of many people but judgment will come. It will last for a time but then it will be destroyed. It always has been and it always will. The hope for the Christian is not to live in the fear of what man will do. It is the joy of knowing that even in death there is joy for those who live for the King of Kings. The people of God should not look upon the chaos of the world with eyes of fear but rather hearts of sorrow. Evil brings misery. The gospel brings hope and joy. Evil men will be punished. Man will never dominate the world with the supremacy of evil. God will never allow that. For that I am so very thankful. Now that is a great story.

The judgment of God is executed not only at the end of history, it is executed periodically in history. (Reinhold Niebuhr, Beyond Tragedy, 1937)

Friday Morning Reflections – The Prophets

Therefore you, O son of man, say to the children of your people: “The righteousness of the righteous man shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression; as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall because of it in the day that he turns from his wickedness; nor shall the righteous be able to live because of his righteousness in the day that he sins.” When I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, but he trusts in his own righteousness and commits iniquity, none of his righteous works shall be remembered; but because of the iniquity that he has committed, he shall die. Again, when I say to the wicked, “You shall surely die,” if he turns from his sin and does what is lawful and right, if the wicked restores the pledge, gives back what he has stolen, and walks in the statutes of life without committing iniquity, he shall surely live; he shall not die. None of his sins which he has committed shall be remembered against him; he has done what is lawful and right; he shall surely live. Yet the children of your people say, “The way of the Lord is not fair.” But it is their way which is not fair! When the righteous turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, he shall die because of it. But when the wicked turns from his wickedness and does what is lawful and right, he shall live because of it. Yet you say, “The way of the Lord is not fair.” O house of Israel, I will judge every one of you according to his own ways. (Ezekiel 33:12-20)

The Way Of The Lord Is Not Fair

Mercy and forgiveness are in the mind of God alone. The justice of man is significantly insignificant when it comes to the measure of what is right and what is wrong. Jeremiah proclaimed that man is incapable to know the path of truth without the guidance of the Lord God Almighty. The prophets in the day of captivity preached a message of divine justice for the wickedness of the nation. Israel and Judah could complain about what they perceived as wrong in the manner of God’s punishment but the word of the Lord would not change. Israel was exterminated by the sword of the Assyrians. God had brought the Babylonians to punish the southern tribes of Judah saving a remnant. In captivity the lessons were still being taught and the people were still struggling to understand.

All of the calamities that befell the people of God were just and righteous because they had brought this upon themselves. Everything the Lord did was the right thing. Each story of mercy was of divine origin. Bringing the Gentiles to punish His own people shows the manner of the Lord’s hatred for sin. Obedience would be rewarded and rebellion would be punished. The righteous were not going to be saved simply because they were righteous as if they had their ticket punched for redemption. Hypocritical smugness in being a child of God did not offer eternal guarantees for salvation. The wicked man who repented of his sins with godly sorrow was more righteous than the man who proudly boasted of his righteousness. Sin is not always clearly seen by the righteous. Jesus tells of two men who went to pray but one man went to brag. The one who was justified was the one who understood what sin had done to him.

The righteous will be saved not because they wear the badge of righteousness but because they obey the Lord. When the wicked show greater sorrow for sin than the righteous the redemptive power of God is clearly seen. In the church today it is easy for the ‘righteous’ to feel comfortable in their superior position looking at disdain upon those who struggle daily in their faith. Salvation will not be given to those who feel confident their ‘name is on the roll’ but to those who do what is lawful and right. Righteous men will suffer punishment just as those who are wicked if they do not obey the word of God. The wicked who turn from their ways and the righteous who humble themselves before the Lord will be saved. In all this – the Lord is right in what HE DOES!

The Christian revelation pictures God as sovereign and majestic and holy. When he unveils Himself, “The Lord lays bare His holy arm.” To suggest that He is a sort of folksy dodderer sitting in a rocker upstairs is the height of blasphemy. (Martin E. Marty, The New Shape of American Religion, 1958)

Thursday Morning Thankfulness – New Testament Epistles

For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. (3 John 1:3-4)

Walking In Truth

Lives that are filled with the truth of God’s grace share an experience unknown to the world. Truth sets the spirit free from the shackles of sin and its consequences. A life that is centered in Jesus Christ exhibits a kindness toward all, forgiving wrongs, and sharing the blessings of life with others. The peace of God rules the heart guiding through turbulent waters of worry and despair. There is much in the world to bring sorrow but the joy of knowing the truth found in the word of God brings solace. Death is not feared. Trials are overcome with courage. Changes in life are measured by the grace of God. There is a hope found in truth that allows the eye to see a home beyond the borders of this life. Truth is an abiding presence of glory within man.

The vital part of truth is it must reside within us. Meditating on the words of God instill the eternal truths of mercy, grace, redemption, hope and promise. The Bible is the mind of God revealed to man. Through this knowledge we understand who we are and what we are – eternal creatures. Truth living within us answers the identity questions we have of ourselves. Made in the image of God we learn to serve a higher cause. Walking in the world is made possible because we walk in the truth of God. What is resident within us measures our steps in the world. The apostle John shows a habitual pattern of life where truth is at the center. If the truth is in us we will walk in truth.

Walking in truth is a daily exercise. Expressing the character of holiness our demeanor is molded by the word of God. Our speech is seasoned with salt. Those who know us will acknowledge that we are known as people of honesty, integrity and purity because of the manner of our words. The life of the Christian is seen to be of truth because of the way we dress. Our appeal is not like the world but through modesty we adorn ourselves with clothing that honors God. Employers will take notice of our lives because we walk in truth. The character of Jesus Christ is our motivation for how we work. Habits of the child of God are established by holy conduct. Truth guides our decisions in every part of life because we walk in the truth.

A life walking in truth is a life of joy. This emotion is found by the individual who has filled his mind with the joy of Jesus Christ. Further, joy is found in fellow Christians who are encouraged by the walk of faith from others. There can be no greater joy when men walk together in truth as they walk together in the footsteps of Him who is Truth. Walk in the steps of truth today.

One must read the Bible continually to prevent the image of truth being obscured in us. (Julian Green, Journal, 1961)

Wednesday Morning Meditation – Psalms & Wisdom Literature

The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the abundance of the rich will not permit him to sleep. (Ecclesiastes 5:12)

Riches Will Not Give You A Good Night’s Sleep

Money has a terrible side effect. It will buy you a bed made of gold with satin sheets but it will not buy you sleep. The greed of man will drive him to gain riches of great wealth never seeing what is lost in the abundance of his common life. There is an irony when the heart fills with covetousness the anxiety increases fear. Take a man who works hard each day at an honest job. He rises in the morning and works a good day of hard labor. Returning home in the evening he enjoys the frugal blessings of home, hearth and happiness. Sleep is pleasant as he lays his head down because the riches of life do not make him worry. His sleep is deep and his worries few.

A rich man does not have that kind of sleep. Wealth brings fear as doors must be locked securely, alarms put in all windows, fences erected to keep out unsavory characters. Friends the rich man never knew he had pursue him with requests for money. Everyone begs him for a portion of his life. There can be little peace. When his life is centered on the riches he must work hard to keep the riches. He worries over the stocks and bonds and investments. Life for the rich man is filled with sleepless nights worrying over his money. Down the street the laboring man is sound asleep. He is content with what he has.

Trust is the center of our character. What we put our trust in and whom we invest our faith will give us happiness or grief. A rich man can find sleep when he trusts in the Lord. Believing that happiness will come from a lottery of untold wealth is foolishness. It will not give one the sleep he once enjoyed with little care for the affairs of this life. His friends are genuine and true. Content with what he has a man lives a quiet and peaceful life enjoying family. Money cannot buy these things. In fact money will take many of these things away. The curse of riches has destroyed families, marriages, morals – and souls. And yet men run head long after the appeal of chance to win millions of dollars in a lottery of misery.

Sleep is one of the great blessings of life. It refreshes the spirit renewing the body. Enjoy the contentment of a hard day’s labor, a quiet meal with family and the nights rest from the cares of life. Awakening the next morning brings a simple day with fewer worries than the man down the street consumed by money. How sad men waste their lives for a piece of paper.

The love of money has been in all ages, one of the passions that have given great disturbances to the tranquility of the world. (Samuel Johnson, rambler, October 6, 1750)

Tuesday Morning Early Start – Important Doctrines

In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. (Colossians 2:11-12)

Abraham And Baptism

Abraham was ninety-nine years old when the Lord came to him establishing a covenant that would pass through every generation of man. This covenant would be a physical promise first and then become a spiritual promise. The significance of the first covenant was the physical removal of the flesh of the foreskin called circumcision. Obedience to this covenant bound a man to the promises of God through the nation of Israel. The significance of the second covenant would not be realized until the time of the church in the first century. As a spiritual promise the blessing would come in the removal of the man of sin in the waters of baptism joining man to the redemption in Jesus Christ.

It took great faith and courage for Abraham to follow the covenant of circumcision at the age of ninety-nine. Ishmael was thirteen when he was circumcised and all the males in the family of Abraham were circumcised. There were no debates or denials for the command of God. No one discussed whether the covenant of circumcision was salvation by works alone. They obeyed in faith and by works showed their faith. Without the act of circumcision the promise of God would not be realized. This covenant would be the mandatory act for a man to become a child of God in the nation of Israel. At eight days old every male child would be circumcised. Jesus was circumcised in accordance with the Law.

On the day of Pentecost Peter and the eleven preached the covenant of circumcision. Showing the devout Jews gathered in Jerusalem they had killed the Son of God the apostle explained that salvation would now come in repentance and baptism for the remission of sins. Luke records throughout the book of Acts the multitudes of people who were baptized into Christ having their sins washed away in the blood of Christ. It was Paul’s letter to Corinth that unveiled with the disciples had been teaching about salvation. The covenant of circumcision was clearly embedded in the minds of the Jews as the moment when a child entered the family of Israel. Using that covenant established with Abraham so long ago the early disciples explained that baptism was a spiritual covenant of circumcision. Cutting off the old man of sin was how one was born anew. At moment of spiritual circumcision a person became a child of God.

Abraham believed in faith the word of God and obeyed (at the age of ninety-nine). He did not argue about the pain involved. It was not a matter for him to understand in the grand scheme of man’s wisdom. By faith he believed. Myriads of people today deny the power of baptism as having anything to do with salvation. Paul’s use of circumcision in Colossians 2 shows that without spiritual circumcision there is no salvation. Abraham believed but that belief alone did not save him. He obeyed the word of God. Belief today is necessary but faith alone cannot save because it never has. Believing the word of the Lord will move one to obey the command of washing away sin by the blood of Jesus Christ. This is baptism. At this moment a person becomes a child of God.

Those who are circumcised in Christ will be saved. Those who are not circumcised will be lost. Abraham proves that baptism is necessary for salvation.

Monday Morning Coffee Break – Life With Jesus

Now as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed Him. And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!” Then the multitude warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!” So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” They said to Him, “Lord, that our eyes may be opened.” So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him. (Matthew 20:29-34)

What Would You Ask Of Jesus

One of the most treasured blessings we have is our sight. Man was not created to be in darkness. Through the means of vision the mind is able to discern the world seeing how to live and move. Some creatures rely on senses apart from the eyes to move about but man needs his eyes (among other senses) to help him possess dominion over the earth. The reason for these men’s blindness is unknown but their life was one of poverty and despair. Sitting by the side of the road begging for any kind of sustenance was a humiliating experience. Looked upon as outcast these blind beggars lived a meager life.

Hearing that Jesus was coming down the road they implored Him to have mercy on them. The Lord’s heart was filled with compassion as he heard their pleas and stopped to ask what they wanted. This was a defining moment for these men. There were many things they could have asked for. Whether they believed Jesus could do any or everything they wanted did not matter. They had a simple request: they wanted to see. These men knew the handicap of living without sight. Darkness had been their life and their only desire was to see. They did not desire riches, power or fame. A basic part of life that is taken for granted by every human being was all they desired in the whole world.

Their hearts were bursting with the hope that possibly for the first time in their lives they could see a morning sunrise. Had they ever seen the majesty of Mount Hermon and its snow topped peaks? What would it be like to see the faces of their family for the first time? It is not likely they would have much education as they could not see the holy text of God’s word read each Sabbath. Jesus asked them what they wanted and they did not have to think long to ask. They wanted to see. Through the power and mercy of God their request was granted. What a moment for these two men. Light began to pour into their brain as finally the clarity of God’s beautiful world surged through their minds. Sight. How wonderful to see. The colors were vivid, the light was penetrating and the details of the small flowers did not escape their notice. They were blind but now they could see.

Physical blindness is a horrible disease. Greater still is spiritual blindness. Those who suffer from physical blindness know they are in darkness. Sadly most that live in the gloom of sin do not see the darkness. Like the two blind men there will be joy when the blindness of sin is realized and relief is sought in Jesus Christ. The word of God is enlightening to the soul and how great is that light. God’s word is inexhaustible with its clarity of truth that fills the mind with the beauty of God’s love. There will never be a time when we can see all there is to see in the message of redemption. The more you spend time in the word of God they greater the light. The greater the light the more joy in following the Son of God.

There are many things that men would seek if given the opportunity to ask of God one thing. Every day that decision is made in the choices we make. Two men stood before Jesus and could ask of Him anything they wanted. They only wanted to see. May we have that simple trusting faith to say to Lord, “Let me see You. That is all I need in my life.”

The Lord hath opened to me by His invisible power how that every man was enlightened by the divine light of Christ; and I saw it shine through all; and they that believed in it came out of condemnation and came to the light of life, and became the children of it. (George Fox, Journal, p.33. 1694)