And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?” And he looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees, walking.”
Mark 8:22-24 (ESV)
Lord Jesus, this passage has many times invoked all kinds of thoughts and emotions in me. From the image of You spitting on the man’s eyes to him declaring he sees people looking like trees walking, it has stirred up all kinds of responses from disgust to humor. What presses on my heart this morning is neither; it is what he does not say that he sees: he doesn’t say that he sees You. Yes, I know that in the midst of the interchange that this fact is not necessarily pertinent nor relevant. But I find it interesting that the Biblical author does not state, “Looking up at Jesus…” This omission resonates with me this morning as I ponder the world around me, in all of its sinful distortion, and how many times I personally do not see You.
Today, Jesus, my soul longs to see You. I don’t want my attention grabbed by sights and sounds that quickly steal my glances. Instead, I want to see You in all things around me. As I make my way towards the destination that You have for me, I want to see Your fingerprints all around me, touching my eyes, causing me to see. And frankly, I don’t really care how You do it, whether through comfort or discomfort, conventional or unconventional. All I want to do is behold Your in all of Your glory, experiencing the warmth of Your presence, knowing that I am loved and cherished by the One Who created me. I want to experience the fullness of Your fellowship, not being distracted by the going ons around me, being filled with Your Spirit. Yes, that is what I want. You.
So today, please open my eyes. And when You ask me what do I see, I will proclaim to You and all who stand in my midst that I see the King of kings, Lord of lords, the Great I Am, and His handiwork! Amen!