"The Word was in the world, and the world was created through Him, but the world did not recognize Him. He came to His own, but His own did not receive Him. Yet to all who did receive Him and believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God." (Gospel of John, ch. 1, vv. 10-12*)
Human history is filled with examples of people or events that were not "recognized" by their contemporaries. Scientists, artists, architects, socially significant figures, people who influenced key moments, military heroes. Some of them we acknowledge only after decades or centuries. For others, we never understand, and the memory of them fades with the last witness of their life. The brightest such example is the life of the Son of God Himself. God intentionally did not allow the Messiah to be born in a palace, in a central place, in a way religious and secular leaders would expect. It's as if God Himself wrapped the greatest Gift to the world in ordinary packaging paper and placed it on the shelf among all other ordinary things. Some even blame Him for this. "If only God had made Jesus come recognizably, there wouldn't be so many unbelievers." But what is recognizable to us humans? What makes us seeing and recognizing? Does what we objectively see help us accurately assess the value of people and circumstances around us?
The obvious answer is "no." What we see as objective facts doesn't make us "seeing" and accurately evaluating the value of "gifts" from God. In the Bible, besides our physical eyes, there is mention of another kind of eyes: "The God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him, and to enlighten the eyes of your heart, so that you may understand the hope to which He has called you, what the riches of His glorious inheritance for the saints are, and how immeasurable the greatness of His power in us, who believe, through the working of His mighty strength." (Epistle to the Ephesians, ch. 1, vv. 17-19*, emphasis added) The cited passage twice highlights the key to spiritual sight and understanding – faith. The Holy Scriptures talk about skills like recognition, sight, understanding, which are different from the physical qualities bearing the same names. They still operate through organs and senses, but not physical ones. The Word speaks of "the eyes of the heart" that "see" invisible things. However, they see through faith. Let us recall once again the biblical definition of faith: "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." (Epistle to the Hebrews, ch. 11, v. 1*) If we expect to see in order to believe, to see in order to understand and correctly evaluate spiritually, we will not succeed. The sequence is as follows: first, you believe, then you see.
We recently recalled again the story of Christmas, saw how Joseph, Mary, and the Child had to stay not in a glittering palace, but in a stable. We recalled how this special Child was recognized by ordinary shepherds, fishermen, and tax collectors, by foreign wise men, but not by the spiritual leaders of His people. We recalled how easy it is for us to be misled by the visible, by what we can touch, smell and taste, and to remain blind to the "gifts" that God gives us.
What can we take for ourselves during the holiday week from the story of the unrecognized "gift" Christ?
Look around, but not with your physical eyes, but with those of the heart. What do you see? What is the thread that runs throughout your year? For what are you grateful? For what are you still bleeding and suffering? Is it possible that you have been blind to certain circumstances in your life during the past year, giving them a wrong assessment as "evil" or "good"?
We encourage you on the eve of one of the two greatest holidays - Christmas and the end of this year - to open your spiritual eyes with faith to the "gifts" around you. Think of at least one positive thing that has emerged from each negative one on your list of unpleasant situations during the year.
Verses for the week: "Open my eyes that I may see the wonders of Your law (…) Give me understanding of the path of Your precepts and I will meditate on Your wonders." (Psalms, ch. 119, vv. 18, 27*, emphasis added)
*The biblical quotes are according to the text of Bible, new translation from the original languages © Bulgarian Bible Society 2013.
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