Contact!

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 few years ago I decided to make some changes in my life.  None of these was what you would call “earth-shattering” but nonetheless, they were changes.  The most dramatic of these was my decision to move from using prescription glasses to contact lenses.

For years I wore glasses.  They worked great, bringing everything in to sharp focus and helping me to see the minutest details.  They even helped me read the fine print on my mortgage but I’m not so sure I really appreciated knowing all those details.  However, they did have one set back.  No matter how good my vision, the frames restricted my peripheral vision.  This became problematic especially during driving sessions. I had to lower my glasses to see what, if anything was coming down the road.  Finally, I decided to switch to contacts.

My ophthalmologist explained to me the process of changing from frames to contacts and promised me I would enjoy the change but it would take time to find the right strength given the fact that both my eyes presented different challenges and would require two different lenses and prescriptions.  We tried all types of lenses and after three months, we finally found the right combination.

I distinctly remember the day we settled on the winning combination of lenses.  Everything was in clear focus and there was no impediment to my entire field of vision.  My peripheral vision was as good as the view straight ahead.  It was hard to believe that two small, round, flimsy pieces of film could make such a difference.  But as long as they are in direct contact with my eyes, my vision is great!

In Jesus’ day, corrective lenses, especially contacts, weren’t even a thought. Yet, just like today, there were people with vision problems. People either saw perfectly well, moderately well, or not at all.  But when Jesus met a man who was blind from birth, just the touch of his hand, changed everything from night to day!

In John 9:11 we read, “He replied, "The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see."  Here, the man is standing before Jewish rulers testifying about the miracle wrought by Jesus.  Everyone in the town knew the man from birth and knew he had been born blind.  Yet, here he stood with perfect vision.

Notice that Jesus made contact with this man. He made mud and placed it on the man’s eyes.  After washing, the man’s vision was restored.  There is a great lesson here for us today.  Spiritually speaking, we walk around in the darkness of our own blindness.  We don’t know which way to go and we can’t see around us.  We need someone to open our eyes, to make contact with us, and give us correct vision.  That is exactly what Jesus does for us.  He puts his hands on us, the hands that were nailed to the cross for our sins, and gives us sight.  He opens our eyes and our minds so that we may understand God’s word, his leading, and his direction for our lives.

When is the last time you had a spiritual eye exam?  Wouldn’t you like to make contact with Jesus today?  You will never see things in the same way again.