The Lens of the Heart

October 19th, 2013 Posted by VISION 0 thoughts on “The Lens of the Heart”

 

“The unholy soul could not see God even though it were set down in the midst of heaven. But holy souls see God amid the ordinary common places of earth, and find everywhere an open vision” F. B. Meyer, The Secret of Guidance

It is a fact human being’s require lenses to see. Our eye is a lens, a very sophisticated collection of rods and cones without which we could not see the beauty of the world in which we live. There is no physical lens like the human eye. To see the stars in greater detail we need a collection of hi-powered lenses assembled together creating a telescope. To see the detail of the microscopic we need another collection of lenses called a microscope. Whether big or small lenses are critical tools that enhance our ability to see farther or smaller than is possible with the naked eye.

In his sermon on the mount Jesus spent alot of time talking about the importance of the heart and the issues that flow from the heart. In the sermon he also talked about the importance of the eye. Jesus made statements that leave us intrigued like “If the eye is dark how deep is the darkness?” & “How can you see to remove the splinter in your brother’s eye, when you have a plank in your own?”. I have often been puzzled by the deeper significance of what Jesus meant by these statements. They sometimes seemed random, like a collection of random thoughts thrown together. But the more I have meditated on these passages and asked the Holy Spirit for understanding, I am convinced that Jesus is trying to help us see that our heart is another lens. Probably the most important lens. I believe  when Jesus talks about the eye in the sermon on the mount, he is talking about the lens of our heart.  With the lens of the heart we are able to see or perceive the unseen real. Paul prayed for the Ephesian church and asked that the “eyes of their understanding(or heart) would be opened”, so it must be really important that the eyes of our heart are free to see.  How can we make sure the lens of our heart is seeing clearly?

Jesus starts the sermon on the Mount with a collection of critical heart attitudes for those who are part of his kingdom. One of those attitudes says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see …. God”. In Luke 11:34, Jesus talking about the eye again said, “if the eye is single”, some translations translate this word single as healthy others as good. It is also possible to translate the word as clear or unclouded. If the eye is single, not divided, clear our vision of the unseen will be unhindered.

Jesus gives us some clear instructions on how we can keep the lens of our heart free from scratches that would hinder our visibility.

“Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven”. Luke 6:37

I have some experience shooting video and recently have begun to shoot video using DSLR cameras which has brought me into a greater appreciation of the many types of lenses available for photography and video. Prime lenses, zoom lenses, wide angle lenses, telephoto lenses. Each provide a unique perspective to the subject being viewed. Now these lenses are expensive, very delicate and are easily scratched and need to be taken care of delicately. I am well aware of the materials that can scratch a lens and I am also aware of which materials are safe to clean the lens with. In Luke 6:37, Jesus helps us see the attitudes that will cloud the lens of our heart and those that will help us walk with clear vision. Judging and condemning rooted in bitter or critical heart attitudes are extremely dangerous to clear heart visibility. These will result in splinter’s or worse plank’s being lodged into our eye, that will greatly obscure our vision. Until these obstructions are removed our perception will be way off. Walking in an attitude of constant forgiveness is the key to healing the lens of the heart. As followers of Christ our heart attitude should be one of constant humility and forgiveness. Having clear visibility of God & his kingdom is really important. Understanding how we are to remove all the splinters and planks that seriously restrict our vision is absolutely critical.

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Cor 4:18

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