MYSTERIES OF PARTIAL BLINDNESS
And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” Mark 8:29
Scripture does not say whether Jesus was sad as He asked His disciples this question, “Who do you say that I am?” He was God and understood spiritual blindness. He knew that spiritual eyesight is never completely cured on this earth. Only in heaven will we exclaim, “I never knew you were this glorious.” Or, “I never knew you loved me like this!”
In my ignorance, I can wonder how the disciples could have been blind. They had the advantage of having Jesus with them. They saw him heal leprosy, drive out spiritual oppression, and calm the seas. Yet, Jesus knew that spiritual blindness takes time to clear. It would only be sometime later, after the resurrection, that they would finally grasp His deity and give their lives to tell others about Him.
Just as people can be blind to Jesus, they can also be blind to Jesus in me. Believer, or unbeliever. The ones who struggled the most to see Jesus’ divinity were his own family. Likewise, those who know me best, and the longest, are often blind to the presence of Jesus in me. It’s the nature of hometown dynamics.
There may come a day when family and friends see His Light and take a step back. Just about the time I believe must accept being misunderstood, God will begin to clear the fog. It was He who allowed me to be concealed for a time and it is He who facilitates the unveiling. It’s as if they’ve never seen me before. Comments are taken seriously. Insights are valued. Company is sought after. I shake my head and wonder how this could happen after so many years.
If I live near others who don’t really see me, it’s not necessarily permanent. While I languish under invisibility, God is near. I am in God’s schoolroom where lessons abound. I remember the Old Testament scripture that says, “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter.” Proverbs 25:2 The period of others’ blindness is under the sovereignty of my Heavenly Father. While I am hidden to them, He ‘searches me and knows me.’ Though often rejected by them, ‘He calls me His and has me engraved on the palm of His hands.’
You change the hearts of kings and turn on the lights when it’s time. While I wait, give me the grace You received from Your Father as you walked out Your faith before those who knew You and loved You – and yet didn’t see You. No matter how painful, You are with me and I am known completely. Amen
For more from Christine Wyrtzen and Jaime Wyrtzen Lauze, please visit www.daughtersofpromise.org
Originally published Friday, 24 March 2023.
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