Blind Spots
The human eye is a wonderful thing. Blind people think a lot more about eyes and sight than those with normal vision because it is common to take for granted the many blessings we enjoy and only think about the things we want and do not have.
Although most of us are blessed with vision of some degree, yet we all possess what is commonly called blind spots. These are two areas located on the right and left side. An eye doctor can draw the exact size and shape of our blind spot by use of a curved black flannel board and a little pointer with a white dot on it. We can see above and below, in front and behind, but within these blind spots we cannot see a thing.
Now most natural things have a spiritual counterpart and this is true of our blind spots. A blind person cannot see at all. A normal person can see clearly in most areas but is also completely blind in two specific areas.
We all know extremely intelligent people who have a wonderful knowledge of mathematics or physics, who can explain the workings of intricate machinery, who are diligent in business and skillful in some sport but who know nothing, absolutely nothing about the Bible and what’s more, they don’t want to. Religion is their blind spot.
When we turn our hearts to God, we do not lose our blind spot, we just become blind to different things. If we can only learn to become blind to the evil that is around us instead of focusing our eyes upon it, how wise we shall be. The lust of the eye is one of the three causes of sin and if we can only learn to have eyes for the things of the Lord and not look upon evil, we shall avoid many of the pitfalls that make others fall.
Unfortunately our blind spots are not limited to evil things. Our blind spots are usually those faults which we possess and others can see so clearly and we can’t see them at all. We all have them, and if only we can learn to see them, then they won’t be blind spots any more.
In the natural we can change the position of our blind spot by turning our head or backing away to get a different slant on things. If only we will train our spiritual vision to compensate for these weaknesses we can avoid stumbling.
Peter and Paul are outstanding examples of faithful followers of Christ who at one time had a serious blind spot. Peter’s trouble was he acted first and thought later. One minute he refuses to let Christ wash his feet and the next he wants him to wash also his hands and his head. One minute he pulls out his sword to defend Christ and the next he denies that he even knows him. Paul, on the other hand, was so wrapped up in what he thought was right that he wouldn’t listen to reason. When confronted with the wisdom of Stephen he became violent and consented to Stephen’s death.
Both of these men were rescued from their blind spots by the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus will also rescue us from ours if we will but turn to him for help. Jesus prayed especially for Peter that his faith fail not, and Peter was able to strengthen his brethren as well. In the case of Paul, Christ personally appeared to him to convert him and it is interesting to notice that Paul was struck blind for a time. It seemed to take natural blindness to make Paul see spiritual things.
We all have blind spots. Let us get busy pulling the beam out of our own eye so that we may see clearly. Jesus plainly teaches us that it is the beam in our eye that causes us trouble, not the mote in our brother’s eye. The trouble is we can see his fault and we can’t see our own. Let us busy ourselves looking for the beams in our eyes so that we can remove the blind spots that cause us to stumble.
