Enlightened Eyes of the Heart

“...having the eyes of your hearts enlightened....” Verse 18.

When we incline our hearts to understand, our eyes begin to open up to the inner, eternal values. The inheritance that awaits us is lying there, basking in the radiance of God’s light and God’s knowledge. Darkened eyes see nothing of this and thus cannot rejoice in it. The angel of the church in Laodicea was advised to anoint his eyes with salve so that he could see. (Revelation 3:18.) When our eyes are anointed, they become enlightened; but our eyes alone would be able to accomplish nothing if they were not at the disposal of our heart. That is why they are called “enlightened eyes of the heart.”

Some might ask: Who then has enlightened eyes? What characterizes such a person? The one who has enlightened eyes is the one who is vigilant and alert to the welfare of the individual and the welfare of the church as a whole. It is the one who is determined to use his time in the best possible way in order to get the most out of his life. It is the one who keeps an eye on those who are rebellious and meets them halfway, before they have had a chance to develop in all their evil. It is the one who sees the poor in spirit and helps them, right in the midst of the rich who have no need of help. It is the one with an eye for those who are poor in this world’s goods and who helps them where they are trying to hide their need. It is the one who parts company with those who are along only for the sake of personal gain.

It is the one who sees to it that those who admire worldly glory suffer the loss of it in the church, and who sees to it that frugal and God-fearing souls develop and become examples worthy of following. It is the one who puts a bit in the mouths of those who have “preacher’s itch,” and encourages those who are more reserved. It is the one who exposes those who love to doll themselves up and sees to it that those who dress modestly don’t become puffed up on that account. It is the one who parts company with his admirers according to the flesh and who hates gifts. It is the one who preaches generosity to the covetous and frugality to the spendthrifts. It is the one who is a stumbling block for the arrogant, and who catches spiritual intrigues in wisdom’s outstretched net.

It is the one who disappoints carnal expectations, who returns flattery with cold water and pure love with love in return. It is the one who doesn’t promise more than he can keep, and who holds those who have made promises strictly accountable. Such a person pays his debts, and sees to it that those with whom he has to do, also pay their own debts. He keeps watch over the blemishes at love feasts. (Jude 12.) Those with whom he has to do get the feeling that he is keeping an eye on them.

It can be said that the one who does all these things has enlightened eyes of the heart. With enlightened eyes of the heart one feels and one suffers, because not even half of what one sees can be corrected so that hearts can be healed. The profane tremble under the gaze of enlightened eyes, and a fool prefers to keep quiet. No wonder, then, that on the day that Christ is revealed, the ungodly will cry out for the mountains and the hills to fall upon them and hide them from the face of Him who sits upon the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. There isn’t a single hiding place where His enlightened eyes will not find them. His searching gaze sees through everything and everybody.

The one whose eyes are anointed and enlightened has inherited much from his heavenly Father. However, it is not only in our ministry to others, within the church, that we have use for enlightened eyes. We also have use for them when we look into the perfect law of liberty, when we behold the things to come, and when we look into the finished work of Christ.