When the natural function of something begins to go awry, you become much more appreciative of the thing you have, up until now, taken for granted. Eyes have become a focus for me lately. Mine, and those of others who I love.  In the recent past, I have experienced a dryness that triggers me to have a constant supply of lubricating drops everywhere I go…in my pockets, purse, car, gym bag, you name it. A friend of mine is struggling with constant tear leakage. He can’t go anywhere without tissues, a hanky, or a sleeve. I have relatives with macular degeneration who have to get shots right into their eyes regularly to preserve their vision.

The Lord created everything, including our eyes, which leave us baffled at the complexity, the mechanism of upkeep, and the function of the organs. Did you know that humans blink approximately 10-20 times per minute? (Staring at a screen decreases this number by approximately half.) Blinking is both an involuntary and voluntary action, like breathing. A few things blinking does: It keeps our vision sharp by providing oxygen and nutrients to the cornea and smoothing the surface of the eye, which keeps the image received by the retina sharp and bright. It cleans and flushes the eye. It fights bacteria. It gives the brain and eyes brief rest breaks, which help prevent cognitive and visual fatigue. So blinking is the Lord’s built-in care system for the eyes. The important task of our eyes is to allow us to see light and evaluate our environment, and then we can interpret and respond.  

Jesus says, “Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are healthy, your whole body is also full of light. But when they are unhealthy, your body also is full of darkness.” (Luke 11:34) Jesus uses the literal meaning regarding the eyes to convey a spiritual truth.

When our physical eyes function well, we see anything that receives enough light to form images in our brain via our retina and optic nerve. Dysfunctional eyes don’t take in light or images, and things look dark.

Similarly, when we have a relationship with and follow Jesus, we have healthy spiritual vision that allows us to see Him as our loving Savior who provides a way for us to have eternal life. Jesus said, “I am the Light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12) He also says that those with unhealthy spiritual vision are “darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God” (Ephesians 4:8)

But the beautiful thing about Jesus is that He wants us all to have a clear vision of who He is and the gift of eternal life that He offers to us all! “For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom [of Light] of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:13-14

Have spiritual things gotten dimmer for you lately? Do you need to blink a few times to clear and nourish your vision? Do you need to clean and flush out some things that are causing pain and distraction and making things darker for you? Just as there are treatments to bring the eye back to health, Jesus stands ready with what you need to heal your blindness or to restore your bright, clear vision.

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.” Hebrews 12:2