The Gift of Vision

By Patricia Escobar

Santa Cruz, Bolivia

Scriptures:

• Luke 4:18-19
• Ephesians 1:18-19

One of the most precious gifts we have is vision. One of the missions for which Jesus was sent was to give us this gift.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”

Luke 4:18-19 (NIV)

These are the words of the prophet Isaiah that Jesus read in a synagogue in Nazareth, and from which he declared: “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your presence” (Luke 4:21)

This is what Jesus had been sent for. One of those missions was to give sight to the blind; that is, to give the gift of vision. We know that he physically healed the blindness of several men in the Scriptures, such as the two blind men of Jericho (Matthew 20: 29-34), the blind man of Bethsaida (Mark 8: 22-26), the man blind from birth (John 9), among others. But the most important blindness that Jesus came to heal is spiritual blindness, which he not only healed when he was among us, but continues to heal to this day.

What is spiritual blindness? Basically it is the inability to see and perceive God. It is the impossibility of seeing with the eyes of God.

Who suffers from this blindness? Only the unconverted? Of course not! Even we as Christians can be blind at times in our lives. The things of God are not of this world, they are realities so great and wonderful that we can lose sight of them while we are in this world, in the midst of battles. 

What can blind us? I want to mention three things that have the potential to blind us, they are not the only ones, but I think these are the most recurrent: 

Pride: Paul was a man so knowledgeable of the Scriptures, but with a proud heart. That pride blinded him. Out of pride, we come to think that we are always right, or that our point of view is correct. Out of pride, we develop an inability to recognize our errors or we come to believe that our experiences validate all our opinions and thoughts. Paul needed a personal encounter with Jesus for his eyes to be opened (Acts 9).

Pain: Job, a man faithful to God who in the midst of severe trials stopped seeing that God was still working and that He was in control. It took a confrontation from God for his eyes to be opened (Job 42:1-6).

Ignorance: We go astray when we stop learning from our God (Hosea 4:6). What we already know is not enough. We must navigate the deep waters of the Word, to discover everything that God wants to teach us. 

The apostle Paul's prayer in Ephesians 1:18-19a tells us about the importance of the gift of vision:

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.”

Ephesians 1:18-19a (NIV)

How can we see the hope to which God has called us, the richness of His glorious inheritance, and the incomparable greatness of His power on behalf of His people if we are blind? We can't! Such great blessings are hidden from the spiritually blind.

In a world like today, with so much information, with so much connection, it is very difficult to recognize that in reality we are often blind; that many times what we think we see so clearly is nothing more than a dark cloud.

Even for Christians, our vision can be defective, clouded, and even lost for some time. In the midst of lives so busy with activities in our churches, in the midst of all the experience accumulated by years of following Jesus, in the midst of our knowledge of the Scriptures, is it possible to stop seeing what God really wants us to see? Is it possible to be blind? Of course!

In my life I have experienced several instances in which I stopped seeing. Without realizing it, I became spiritually blind. One of those moments was when my husband and I were suddenly fired from the ministry after returning to the capital from a mission in another city in Chile.

I can't describe the numerous emotions I experienced at that moment – the feeling of being abandoned, of being discarded. The days that followed were a struggle in my heart between my faithfulness to God and my anger and sense of injustice. I did not stray from prayer or church. We remained faithful, but I became blind. I stopped seeing hope, the glorious power of God and His control over everything. I hoped that someone would tell me that they had made a mistake and ask for our forgiveness. I felt that one day they would regret having caused us so much pain. We felt alone and without anyone to defend us. I was filled with bitterness. I didn't see things the same anymore. I couldn't see God clearly. It was difficult for me to see through the eyes of forgiveness and acceptance. Why would God allow this to happen since we had left everything to serve Him in the mission? Why were the brothers so ungrateful to us? That's how I thought; and I believed I was right.

In His immense goodness, God was good to us and took us to another church in another country, and allowed us to heal our hearts. But He also opened our eyes.

You said, “Listen now, and I will speak;
    I will question you,
    and you shall answer me.”
My ears had heard of you
    but now my eyes have seen you.
Therefore I despise myself
    and repent in dust and ashes.
Job 42:4-6 (NIV)

God removed the blindfold from Job's eyes, and he could now see what he could not see in his moment of pain. The same thing happened to me. I had my own vision of how things should happen. I was not seeing with the eyes of God. He had a plan for us, designed to help us and teach us, but I couldn't see it. God has taught us so much in these years in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. We have learned invaluable lessons. God’s plan is perfect!

Questions for Reflection:

1. Is there any situation in your life that could be blinding you today?

2. Are you seeing things with the eyes of God?

3. Are you willing for God to open your eyes?

Today I will:

Take some time to think and reflect on your life. Then find a mature sister in your congregation who knows you and ask her how she sees you. Ask if there may be something you are not seeing clearly that is affecting your heart and the way you live. Prepare to listen and decide to pray and work on what that sister tells you.

About the Author:

Patricia Escobar is Chilean. She has been a disciple for 34 years. She’s been married to  Cristian Escobar for 19 years. They have two children: Sofía, 14, and Benjamín, 12. Patricia is an auditor by profession. The Escobars have worked in the full-time ministry for 22 years.

While still single, Patricia was called to lead the women in the Church of La Paz, Bolivia. From there, she returned to Santiago where she met my husband, who had been baptized while she was on the mission field.

After they were married, Patricia and Cristian were sent to plant the church in Viña del Mar, Chile. After seven years, they returned to work in Santiago. In 2015, they were called to lead the Church of Santa Cruz, Bolivia, where they have now served as evangelist and women's counselor for almost 10 years.

Patrica is currently pursuing a degree in theology.