Adapted from “L’osservatore del sabato, Vol. 39, No. 1”
Blindness is something that has always impressed me. When I would see a blind person, I used to think that not being able to see would be the worst thing that could happen to someone. Over the course of my life, I had the opportunity to meet and live with a brother who suffered from this physical disability, and this experience radically changed my point of view. This man cooked, read the Bible (in Braille), and kept his house well organized—everything was in its place, and there was a place for everything. He was a very methodical person and managed to walk along the streets quite easily with the help of his cane. By using his hearing, he could perceive the presence of objects or people; in fact, he sensed much more than I could, and he often amazed me with his keen sense of direction. Sometimes we were in the car together. Since it was in the city where we lived, he knew the streets very well—but I never imagined he could be a navigator in a moving car. “You passed it; the street we’re looking for was the previous one,” he would tell me. “How is that possible? You can’t even see it!” I would reply. And he was right—he was always one step ahead of me. I remember one day, as we were climbing the stairs to our home, the power went out and I stopped because I couldn’t see the steps anymore. He smiled at me as he continued up and said, “You sighted people have many problems.” I was deeply moved when he said, “I thank God for giving me spiritual sight, which is much more important in life. I’m simply waiting for the Lord Jesus to return to this earth and give me physical sight as well.” At that moment, I realized that spiritual blindness is far more catastrophic than physical blindness.
The Blindness of the Soul’s Eyes
The lack of spiritual sight results in the inability to discern the things of God. A person may think they can see, yet still lack spiritual light, just as the physically blind are deprived of sunlight. In the Bible, spiritual blindness is presented very clearly and is often associated with darkness. Darkness can represent death (Job 10:21–22), the difficulties and trials of life (Psalm 23:4), the condition of all those who do not know or accept Christ as their personal Saviour (Matthew 15:14), and finally, those who know Christ and have accepted Him in their hearts but do not live out their faith.
In this reading, we will focus on the last of these, as it concerns us directly. In the book of Revelation, the Lord rebukes the church of Laodicea. It is a very strong message—a severe rebuke—but it is tied to an invitation to repentance. The problem with Laodicea is that it thinks it has everything and is in need of nothing. But Jesus reveals its true condition: “Thou knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.” Revelation 3:17. The message to the last church is a striking rebuke and applies to God’s people in our day.
“The message of the True Witness finds the people of God in a sad deception, yet honest in that deception.” –Testimonies for the Church, vol. 3, p. 252. Jesus desires only our good; for this reason, He calls us to repent of our evil deeds, because He loves us (Revelation 3:19). Because of its spiritual lukewarmness, Laodicea risks being spewed out of the Lord’s mouth (Revelation 3:16). Is it possible that each of us suffers from this type of blindness, in a greater or lesser measure? How can we regain spiritual sight? How can we avoid being spewed out of the Lord’s mouth?
The Cure for Blindness
“I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see” Revelation 3:18
The Lord sees the condition of His people and calls them to spiritual revival. He sends warning after warning. His love is long-suffering and He waits for us, but this is misunderstood by the majority, who believe that their sins are not so serious because God’s displeasure is not immediately evident. The Pharisee was convinced that he had God’s favour because of his personal merits: “I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess” Luke 18:11–12. Yet he was blind. The publican, instead, who saw himself as a miserable sinner, found grace in the eyes of God. The eyesalve—God’s grace—was working in his favour, revealing to him the darkest secrets of his heart. He sought God in prayer with a sincere heart, longing for forgiveness and restoration of his soul—and he found it: “This man went down to his house justified” (Luke 18:14), said Jesus. All who will have been washed in the blood of Christ, who have fought a personal battle against sin and overcome, will one day be in the heavenly mansions.
Oh, how we need the eyesalve of God! In Laodicea there was a famous medical school that produced ointments for the eyes. Jesus referenced this fact and applied it to the end-time church. The eyesalve represents the work of the Holy Spirit in the believer who does not realize his dramatic condition. That which should cause a deep sense of alarm is that we ourselves often do not perceive nor understand our degraded state, and we are content just as we are. For this reason, we must go to the word of God and pray, each of us seeking the Lord earnestly, and find Him. We must make this our first duty.
Jesus Knocks at the Door
Despite the harshness of the message to Laodicea, we can see in it a deep desire on God’s part for restoration. It is not the fact that we have sinned that separates us from Him forever, but rather the unwillingness to repent.
Dear friends, let us abandon pride, envy, strife with brethren and sisters, criticism, and feeling superior to others. Outwardly, we may seem good and comply with the external rules of the church, enjoying the favour of others—but if our hearts are not humble, if we tend to think ill of others and discredit them with our negative comments, if we try to tear down rather than build up, if we remain silent in the face of injustice or encourage our brother’s error, if we are indifferent to the needs of the church—then we have a problem with spiritual vision.
The prodigal son realized his terrible condition and decided to return to his father’s house for forgiveness and renewal. David confessed his terrible sins, and the Lord forgave and healed him. Peter wept bitterly after denying his Master because the balm of the Holy Spirit opened his eyes to the enormity of his guilt and his true condition of unworthiness—but Jesus forgave and healed him. Mary, the great sinner, rejected and shunned by her contemporaries, found forgiveness and restoration in Christ, and for this reason, she broke the alabaster box and anointed the head and feet of the Saviour in gratitude.
Jesus presents Himself as the light of the world (John 9:5). For Christ’s light to shine into our lives, we must allow Him to enter our hearts. He stands at the door and knocks—let Him in. Jesus will dine with us and we with Him.
How long has Jesus waited outside the door of our hearts? Have we heard His call?
Let us not despair, despite our condition. Some have fallen into the deep pit of sin, others have drifted away from the church, some still struggle to be free from hidden sins, while others have realized their need for a deeper relationship with God. Whatever the case, the Lord knows. Yet He asks us to open that door—He insists on being our Friend.
Dear reader, open the door to your beloved Jesus. Let Him enter your life and begin to delight in His friendship. He will restore you, heal you, comfort you, and give you hope. He will remain by your side and one day will usher you into His heavenly home.
One day I heard the story of John Newton, the infamous slave trader, born in London on July 24, 1725. He was the son of a merchant ship captain who sailed the Mediterranean. His mother was deeply devout and taught him the Bible from an early age, planting the seed of the gospel in his heart. In 1744, he enlisted in the army and, after a very negative experience, deserted but was captured and severely punished. Demoted to a common sailor, he himself asked to work on a slave ship. Eventually, he became captain of his own vessel, dedicated to the slave trade.
This man became one of the most terrible and despicable traffickers of African slaves, despised even by his crew for his drunkenness and irreverence. John lived in darkness—he was blind. But his moment of light came when his ship was about to sink in a terrible storm. At that moment, he remembered the God of his mother and cried out:
“Lord, have mercy upon us!”
When the storm passed, John was no longer the same.
From 1755 to 1760, John Newton worked as tide inspector in Liverpool, where he met George Whitefield, evangelist and leader of the Methodist Church in England. He became his follower and a church minister. He also composed hymns, including the famous “Amazing Grace.” Newton also dedicated much time and effort to the abolition of slavery, supporting his friend and evangelist William Wilberforce. With great joy and satisfaction, in 1807 the act abolishing the slave trade was passed by both houses of the British Parliament.
Newton died at the age of 83 as Rector of St. Mary Woolnoth Church. The epitaph in one of his chapels reads:
“John Newton, clerk, once an infidel and libertine, a servant of slaves in Africa, was, by the rich mercy of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, preserved, restored, pardoned, and appointed to preach the faith he had long laboured to destroy.”
The last words of this great man were: “My memory is nearly gone; but I remember two things: That I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Saviour.”
The hymn “Amazing Grace” tells the story of Newton’s life, an incredible testimony of his experience with God. He was miserable, lost in complete spiritual blindness, unable to perceive heaven’s light. But Jesus transformed him and made him His instrument of salvation for other souls. For this reason, one verse of the hymn in Spanish says:
“I was blind and lost, but He found me.”
May the Lord bless you.
Amen
By Jose V. Giner (Italy)