“Any reading of God’s Word with a performance-based, do-to-be-tree mentality instantly veils our spiritual sight. . . . While we diligently, fearfully try to keep the law, we miss the greater thins that Jesus wants us to see.”- Alan Wright
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matter of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done without neglecting the others. You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel.”- Matthew 23:23-24 (ESV)
In Chapter 14 (“Unveiling: Seeing with Unclouded Glory”), the final chapter of Seeing as Jesus Sees, Alan Wright stresses that the holy and good law of God condemns us. Because we possess no power to keep it. Furthermore, due to our flaws, the law always makes us self-focused. And when we turn our vision inward, we lose Christ’s vision. By grace we’re saved through faith in the crucified and risen Christ.
Therefore, when Jesus referred to the Pharisees as blind guides, he meant they were blind to what mattered. While the Pharisees saw the importance of the law, they failed to notice what mattered most.
Hence, Alan posits, wouldn’t one day of the law contaminate all the days of grace? Because a mere one percent of the law introduces unlimited fear. And that unlimited fear contains the power to blind.
Most significantly, law always blinds. But grace removes the veil. So, if the letter kills (2 Corinthians 3:16), what 1 percent of the letter of the law keeps the veil over your eyes? However, when you pause, connect with Jesus, and look through His eyes, you dare to live unveiled.
In conclusion, Alan encourages:
“Jesus’ ancient invitation to discipleship has not changed: ‘Come and you will see‘ (John 1:39, emphasis author’s). It isn’t a promise to fix all your problems or erase all your pain. Jesus’ offer of new eyes is a better gift — a new perspective that can defeat the darkness and awaken joy. Pause. Connect. Look. Oh, the sights you’ll see.”
Today’s question: How do we keep ourselves from reading God’s Word in a way that veils our spiritual sight? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: the annotated bibliography of Seeing as Jesus Sees
