Once I was blind

2 Corinthians 3:14-16 'But the people's minds were hardened, and even to this day whenever the Old Covenant is being read, a veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ. Yes, even today when they read Moses' writings, their hearts are covered with that veil, and they do not understand. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, then the veil is taken away.'

It took a horror of great darkness for Paul to see. This seems a contradiction, doesn't it? How can you see if you are blinded? There is a conflict of sight between God's and ours. For us to see as God sees, the Lord Himself must blind the 'eyes of our wisdom'. Why is this? Because man's perception of good has been veiled by the god of this world.

Satan enticed Adam and Eve to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil when they were forbidden to do so. In eating, a kind of sight was opened for mankind, but how limited it has proven to be. Gen 3:5. Even when we know this, we still attempt to approach God through ways we see as right. Perhaps we could claim, as Paul did, that our ways are more right than any one else's. But even to be the best of what God rejects is still to be alienated from God, locked up and in darkness.

Peter had a similar experience to Paul of the horror of great darkness. It occurred not long after he declared to Jesus that he would never deny Him;  even if others did, he definitely would not. In fact, he would go with Christ even to death. Jesus told Peter that before the rooster crowed he would deny Him three times and Peter did exactly that.

According to Luke's Gospel, Peter did not remember any of this until after the third denial when Jesus turned and looked at him. Peter remembered and was pierced to his heart when he met Jesus' gaze. He went out into the night, into 'darkness', and wept bitterly.

I suspect the weight of darkness Peter entered would have been of the same significance as that experienced in the literal blindness of Paul. After Christ was raised from the dead He returned to the now devastated Peter, and, in the course of His visitation, Peter's eyes were opened to see as God sees.

Conversion requires seeing the kingdom of God; and that requires a new sight beyond the perception of man's wisdom.

Ray Jackson

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Feature Articles
February 2009

A measure of faith

Faith for resurrection

Calling upon the Lord

Ready or not

Recognising new creation

Learning to shepherd

The word of faith

The fruits of wisdom

Following the Lamb

Once I was blind

What are fences for?