In reading a recent devotional by Max Lucado he mentioned that we all need a spiritual ophthalmologist.1 (2 Corinthians 4:4 NCV) tells us: “The devil who rules this world has blinded the minds of those who do not believe. They cannot see the light of the Good News—the Good News about the glory of Christ, who is exactly like God.”
According to Lucado: “From heaven’s viewpoint our earth is populated by sightless people. They do not see the meaning of life or the love of God. How else do we explain the confusion and chaos? How else do we explain the constant threat of world war, plagues of hunger, racism, and the holocaust of the unborn?”2
In our world of almost eight billion inhabitants, sadly, most people simply cannot see. Oh yes, while almost everyone of these eight billion people can physically see (approximately 40 million people are physically blind) most are spiritually blind and “cannot see the light of the Good News.” The Bible tells us that unless the Holy Spirit illuminates our minds and sight, we will never be able to spiritually see Jesus – the only true light of the world.
Before coming to Christ, the Bible tells us that we are all spiritually dead. Not only that but we read in (Jeremiah 17:9): “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” But deep within the human heart, I believe, is a desire to know God. Sadly, because of sin, we have been blinded by Satan and suppress the truth about who God is. (Ecclesiastes 3:11) tells us: “…He has also set eternity in the human heart…”
Even though sinful man suppresses the truth about God he is still made in the image of God and can be reached and restored back into a relationship with Jesus. However, in order to accomplish this restoration radical spiritual surgery by the Father is necessary. Our desperately wicked heart needs more than just reformation it needs transformation. And the only remedy for our dead spiritual condition is a heart transplant – we need a brand new heart. Fortunately, God has provided the surgical means for we read in (Ezekiel 36:26): “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”
Thus, we need both a spiritual ophthalmologist, to restore our sight, and spiritual heart surgeon to give us a new heart. Fortunately for us Jesus is the great physician and can perform both surgical operations. Once we have been transformed through the spiritual scalpel of Christ our job is to shine the light of Jesus to the whole world through our words and deeds. While most Christians don’t have a medical degree we can all be spiritual ophthalmologists helping to bring sight to the spiritually blind. So, let’s go forth and shine the light of Jesus so all the world can see!