35. Blessed eyes and ears
Matthew 13:16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
The promise of blessed eyes and blessed ears means we can perceive and understand. We are ready to admit that we, and all men, are ignorant of God and the things of God; ignorant does not mean dumb as opposed to smart, it means to not even be aware of as something that is not on the radar screen at all. It is not that I didn’t understand it; I never even heard of it. We are born blind, dead and enemies of God; we have no sensory receptors to take in information and knowledge about spiritual life and the life of God.
Since we cannot know, God must choose to reveal Himself and cause us in the spirit to see and hear. He does this through the Word of the Gospel, which the Holy Spirit uses to convince our hearts of the truth of God. And now we understand for God has blessed our eyes and ears. The very announcement and proclamation of the Gospel cause our hearts to be opened to the love of God and to be filled with God’s life.
This blessing of revelation and understanding is a privilege that God has given to those who see and hear. This blessing is a pure act of God, 100% His doing, with nothing at all done or said or believed on my part. Why am I privileged? I don’t know: it’s grace. Why are some others not so privileged? I don’t know: it’s their choice to reject the Gospel; and so no understanding comes.
How do I know my eyes and ears are blessed? I know because I believe in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. Without the Holy Spirit opening my eyes and ears I could not believe and confess Jesus. With the Spirit I do perceive and understand the invisible meaning behind a visible parable; indeed, He blesses my eyes and ears to see and hear many more invisible things of God through the visible things in the Scriptures. This is truly a blessing and a promise.