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The human eye is
a wonderful thing. Blind people think a lot more about eyes
and sight than those with normal vision because it is common
to take for granted the many blessings we enjoy and only think
about the things we want and do not have.
Although most of us are blessed with vision of some degree,
yet we all possess what is commonly called blind spots. These
are two areas located on the right and left side. An eye doctor
can draw the exact size and shape of our blind spot by use
of a curved black flannel board and a little pointer with
a white dot on it. We can see above and below, in front and
behind, but within these blind spots we cannot see a thing.
Now most natural
things have a spiritual counterpart and this is true of our
blind spots. A blind person cannot see at all. A normal person
can see clearly in most areas but is also completely blind
in two specific areas.
We all know extremely intelligent people who have a wonderful
knowledge of mathematics or physics, who can explain the workings
of intricate machinery, who are diligent in business and skillful
in some sport but who know nothing, absolutely nothing about
the Bible and what’s more, they don’t want to. Religion is
their blind spot.
When we turn our
hearts to God, we do not lose our blind spot, we just become
blind to different things. If we can only learn to become
blind to the evil that is around us instead of focusing our
eyes upon it, how wise we shall be. The lust of the eye is
one of the three causes of sin and if we can only learn to
have eyes for the things of the Lord and not look upon evil,
we shall avoid many of the pitfalls that make others fall.
Unfortunately our blind spots are not limited to evil things.
Our blind spots are usually those faults which we possess
and others can see so clearly and we can’t see them at all.
We all have them, and if only we can learn to see them, then
they won’t be blind spots any more.
In the natural we can change the position of our blind spot
by turning our head or backing away to get a different slant
on things. If only we will train our spiritual vision to compensate
for these weaknesses we can avoid stumbling.
Peter and Paul
are outstanding examples of faithful followers of Christ who
at one time had a serious blind spot. Peter’s trouble was
he acted first and thought later. One minute he refuses to
let Christ wash his feet and the next he wants him to wash
also his hands and his head. One minute he pulls out his sword
to defend Christ and the next he denies that he even knows
him. Paul, on the other hand, was so wrapped up in what he
thought was right that he wouldn’t listen to reason. When
confronted with the wisdom of Stephen he became violent and
consented to Stephen’s death.
Both of these men
were rescued from their blind spots by the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus will also rescue us from ours if we will but turn to
him for help. Jesus prayed especially for Peter that his faith
fail not, and Peter was able to strengthen his brethren as
well. In the case of Paul, Christ personally appeared to him
to convert him and it is interesting to notice that Paul was
struck blind for a time. It seemed to take natural blindness
to make Paul see spiritual things.
We all have blind spots. Let us get busy pulling the beam
out of our own eye so that we may see clearly. Jesus plainly
teaches us that it is the beam in our eye that causes us trouble,
not the mote in our brother’s eye. The trouble is we can see
his fault and we can’t see our own. Let us busy ourselves
looking for the beams in our eyes so that we can remove the
blind spots that cause us to stumble.
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