Giving Vision To Sight (Matthew 8:22-26)
Giving Vision to Sight
Matthew 8: 22-26, 22 And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him. 23 And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought. 24 And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. 25 After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly. 26 And he sent him away to his house, saying, neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town. ....
Now take a second and do something for me, stick your hand out and look at it, if you can see it that means you have sight. So, now it has been established that we have sight. As men we are aware of the fact that we have sight and can clearly see from our eyes, but all sight is just a perception of what is currently going on at the moment or in our surroundings. Sight is determined by the past and the present; (1) you know what you are seeing (2) you know what you have seen. You may ask, Minister Jackson, why is it that you are explaining sight and seeing and what does that have to do with vision, well because of sight our perception of vision is somewhat distorted. When you hear the word vision and sight the automatic idea that comes to one’s head is 20/20 vision or saying that you can see clearly, but in actuality that is still sight. Vision is the foresight and knowledge of the direction that you are going. Vision is knowing what’s ahead of you and knowing what direction you are going in, hence 20/20 vision. In the passage of scripture we see that a blind man is brought to Jesus so that he may be healed. The first thing that is pointed out is that the man is blind. When we look at ourselves, we have to evaluate our situation, if we are not saved then we are considered blind, not knowing which way to turn or go because everything around us is so dark that we cannot see, but when we come into salvation through Jesus Christ that darkness that once surrounded us is removed and now we can clearly see (He brought us out of darkness into His marvelous light!) As men, we are called to be leaders, but how can the blind lead the blind? Evaluate yourself and ask yourself the question, Am I Blind? And just like earlier if we can see then we know that we have sight. Now that you have sight, is that all that you need or is that where it stops? We see in the passage that Jesus took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. The reason why Jesus did this was to place the man in an environment of faith, because in the town that he was in, it had been known to be a town that was faithless or doubted, and Jesus knowing that brought him out that he may not be wavered in his faith. As men, do we have faith in the work of Jesus? Do we place ourselves in a position or an environment that is faith-based, where our faith can grow? That is why, after we are saved that we must find a stable church home where the whole bible is taught and the spirit of God has free-course, because once Jesus leads us out of the darkness of sin, he wants us to be in a place where our faith will increase and not waver. Now it says that Jesus then spit upon the man’s eyes and touched him and asked him if he saw, and the man looked up and replied that he saw men as trees walking. Hear we see after Jesus has touched him, the man’s sight was restored; he was able to open his eyes and see. Going back to what I said earlier about sight, it is based on the past and the present. When his sight was restored, the man was able to perceive that he saw men and that they looked like trees and they were walking, clearly he was talking about what he was seeing at that present moment, but yet his vision was not fully restored. As men, many times we see what is going on in our lives, in our church, in our family, in the world, etc…, but all we are looking at is what is going now and what has happened before. All we do is take in what is being shown to us and handed to us. So in essence, we become a by-product of what we see. If all we do is see a society that paints men as being no good, then we perceive that and start to believe that we are no go because that is all we see, only using sight. When you look at this miracle with Jesus, we notice something happens after the man answers, Jesus touches him again. This miracle is one of the only ones recorded that speaks of Jesus doing something again, but it’s not to say he did something wrong the first. After the man spoke, Jesus put his hands on his eyes again and made him look up, and the scripture says that he was restored and saw every man clearly. In reality what Jesus did in that instance was give Vision to the man’s Sight. You may ask again, Minister Jackson, what does that mean? First let’s take a look at the word vision. In Webster’s Dictionary ‘vision’ is described this way, 1 a: something seen in a dream, trance, or ecstasy ; especially : a supernatural appearance that conveys a revelation b: a thought, concept, or object formed by the imagination c: a manifestation to the senses of something immaterial, 2 a: the act or power of imagination b (1): mode of seeing or conceiving (2): unusual discernment or foresight vision> c: direct mystical awareness of the supernatural usually in visible form. So vision is something that is conveyed through revelation, a concept or idea, manifestation of something immaterial or not yet materialized, and the act of discernment/foresight to give a direct awareness of the supernatural in the visible form, so looking at that definition we see that there is a source for vision and it is based on future things. If sight is based on the past and the present, and vision is based on the future, then it is safe to say that when you put the two together that it gives you a full picture of everything – past, present and future. Now in the book of Habakkuk the 2nd chapter we see the Lord say something to the prophet… in verses 2 and 3 he says, “2 And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. 3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.” Here we see that vision comes from God and that it has also been declared in his word things for times to come, for we also know that God’s word does not return void and it surely shall accomplish what it has set out to do. So when you look at the miracle, Jesus gives vision to the man’s sight, after he touched him again he made him look up…David said in Psalms 121: 1-2 (NLT), “I look up to the mountains – does my help come from there? My help comes from the LORD, who made the heavens and the earth!” When he was made to look up, he was introduced to the one that gives vision, God our Father, who sits high but looks low, who is seated on the throne, and when the man understood in his heart and his faith was increased he was fully restored as a man and was given vision, thus the scriptures says that he saw every man clearly. As men we have to realize that once we are saved that we are not in the race just to get saved but that we may go forth and bring others, especially other men, to Christ, but we must wholly lean and depend on God to give us direction and insight. We must receive vision from God on how to deal in our lives, in our families and in this world. The word of God says that “the steps of a good man (righteous man) are order by the Lord and he delighteth in his way.” (Psalm 37:23) When we allow God to use us as we are with our sight (clearly seeing what’s been going) and allow him to give us vision (the knowledge of knowing what lies ahead, and the plans that it takes to get there) then we know we will be able to clearly see what God has intended for everyone and everything, that’s why in the scripture after the man looked up and was restored that it said he saw every man clearly. Just as we are declared to be the heads as men, just as Christ is the head of the church (Ephesians 5:23), we must also do as Jesus did and look to the father for our direction, for Jesus prayed to the father before anything he did and also because he knew the mission that was ordained for his life by God, for we know that for the glory that was set before him that he endured the cross. So I encourage you men, don’t just look at what’s going on around you and accept it for what is, but consult God and see what his say is on the matter, allow him to give you revelation and vision, cultivate an ear to hear what his spirit has to say to you and is instructing you to do, for surely his word is true and it shall not lie and everything that he has appointed to you will come to pass. Remember Proverbs 29:18, “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” Keep the word written upon the tablets of your heart and allow God to speak to you, Write the vision in your heart and make it plain, so that when you share the vision that God has given, the world may run and not faint, because remember the vision is for an appointed time, but it will speak, so even if it looks like it will be a while, wait for it, because it will surely come and when it comes it will be for your good, so that you won’t perish but that you may prosper. Allow God to give vision to your sight, and See what he has in store for you. God bless you!....
-Minister Derrick Jackson....
Matthew 8: 22-26, 22 And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him. 23 And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought. 24 And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. 25 After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly. 26 And he sent him away to his house, saying, neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town. ....
Now take a second and do something for me, stick your hand out and look at it, if you can see it that means you have sight. So, now it has been established that we have sight. As men we are aware of the fact that we have sight and can clearly see from our eyes, but all sight is just a perception of what is currently going on at the moment or in our surroundings. Sight is determined by the past and the present; (1) you know what you are seeing (2) you know what you have seen. You may ask, Minister Jackson, why is it that you are explaining sight and seeing and what does that have to do with vision, well because of sight our perception of vision is somewhat distorted. When you hear the word vision and sight the automatic idea that comes to one’s head is 20/20 vision or saying that you can see clearly, but in actuality that is still sight. Vision is the foresight and knowledge of the direction that you are going. Vision is knowing what’s ahead of you and knowing what direction you are going in, hence 20/20 vision. In the passage of scripture we see that a blind man is brought to Jesus so that he may be healed. The first thing that is pointed out is that the man is blind. When we look at ourselves, we have to evaluate our situation, if we are not saved then we are considered blind, not knowing which way to turn or go because everything around us is so dark that we cannot see, but when we come into salvation through Jesus Christ that darkness that once surrounded us is removed and now we can clearly see (He brought us out of darkness into His marvelous light!) As men, we are called to be leaders, but how can the blind lead the blind? Evaluate yourself and ask yourself the question, Am I Blind? And just like earlier if we can see then we know that we have sight. Now that you have sight, is that all that you need or is that where it stops? We see in the passage that Jesus took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. The reason why Jesus did this was to place the man in an environment of faith, because in the town that he was in, it had been known to be a town that was faithless or doubted, and Jesus knowing that brought him out that he may not be wavered in his faith. As men, do we have faith in the work of Jesus? Do we place ourselves in a position or an environment that is faith-based, where our faith can grow? That is why, after we are saved that we must find a stable church home where the whole bible is taught and the spirit of God has free-course, because once Jesus leads us out of the darkness of sin, he wants us to be in a place where our faith will increase and not waver. Now it says that Jesus then spit upon the man’s eyes and touched him and asked him if he saw, and the man looked up and replied that he saw men as trees walking. Hear we see after Jesus has touched him, the man’s sight was restored; he was able to open his eyes and see. Going back to what I said earlier about sight, it is based on the past and the present. When his sight was restored, the man was able to perceive that he saw men and that they looked like trees and they were walking, clearly he was talking about what he was seeing at that present moment, but yet his vision was not fully restored. As men, many times we see what is going on in our lives, in our church, in our family, in the world, etc…, but all we are looking at is what is going now and what has happened before. All we do is take in what is being shown to us and handed to us. So in essence, we become a by-product of what we see. If all we do is see a society that paints men as being no good, then we perceive that and start to believe that we are no go because that is all we see, only using sight. When you look at this miracle with Jesus, we notice something happens after the man answers, Jesus touches him again. This miracle is one of the only ones recorded that speaks of Jesus doing something again, but it’s not to say he did something wrong the first. After the man spoke, Jesus put his hands on his eyes again and made him look up, and the scripture says that he was restored and saw every man clearly. In reality what Jesus did in that instance was give Vision to the man’s Sight. You may ask again, Minister Jackson, what does that mean? First let’s take a look at the word vision. In Webster’s Dictionary ‘vision’ is described this way, 1 a: something seen in a dream, trance, or ecstasy ; especially : a supernatural appearance that conveys a revelation b: a thought, concept, or object formed by the imagination c: a manifestation to the senses of something immaterial, 2 a: the act or power of imagination b (1): mode of seeing or conceiving (2): unusual discernment or foresight vision> c: direct mystical awareness of the supernatural usually in visible form. So vision is something that is conveyed through revelation, a concept or idea, manifestation of something immaterial or not yet materialized, and the act of discernment/foresight to give a direct awareness of the supernatural in the visible form, so looking at that definition we see that there is a source for vision and it is based on future things. If sight is based on the past and the present, and vision is based on the future, then it is safe to say that when you put the two together that it gives you a full picture of everything – past, present and future. Now in the book of Habakkuk the 2nd chapter we see the Lord say something to the prophet… in verses 2 and 3 he says, “2 And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. 3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.” Here we see that vision comes from God and that it has also been declared in his word things for times to come, for we also know that God’s word does not return void and it surely shall accomplish what it has set out to do. So when you look at the miracle, Jesus gives vision to the man’s sight, after he touched him again he made him look up…David said in Psalms 121: 1-2 (NLT), “I look up to the mountains – does my help come from there? My help comes from the LORD, who made the heavens and the earth!” When he was made to look up, he was introduced to the one that gives vision, God our Father, who sits high but looks low, who is seated on the throne, and when the man understood in his heart and his faith was increased he was fully restored as a man and was given vision, thus the scriptures says that he saw every man clearly. As men we have to realize that once we are saved that we are not in the race just to get saved but that we may go forth and bring others, especially other men, to Christ, but we must wholly lean and depend on God to give us direction and insight. We must receive vision from God on how to deal in our lives, in our families and in this world. The word of God says that “the steps of a good man (righteous man) are order by the Lord and he delighteth in his way.” (Psalm 37:23) When we allow God to use us as we are with our sight (clearly seeing what’s been going) and allow him to give us vision (the knowledge of knowing what lies ahead, and the plans that it takes to get there) then we know we will be able to clearly see what God has intended for everyone and everything, that’s why in the scripture after the man looked up and was restored that it said he saw every man clearly. Just as we are declared to be the heads as men, just as Christ is the head of the church (Ephesians 5:23), we must also do as Jesus did and look to the father for our direction, for Jesus prayed to the father before anything he did and also because he knew the mission that was ordained for his life by God, for we know that for the glory that was set before him that he endured the cross. So I encourage you men, don’t just look at what’s going on around you and accept it for what is, but consult God and see what his say is on the matter, allow him to give you revelation and vision, cultivate an ear to hear what his spirit has to say to you and is instructing you to do, for surely his word is true and it shall not lie and everything that he has appointed to you will come to pass. Remember Proverbs 29:18, “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” Keep the word written upon the tablets of your heart and allow God to speak to you, Write the vision in your heart and make it plain, so that when you share the vision that God has given, the world may run and not faint, because remember the vision is for an appointed time, but it will speak, so even if it looks like it will be a while, wait for it, because it will surely come and when it comes it will be for your good, so that you won’t perish but that you may prosper. Allow God to give vision to your sight, and See what he has in store for you. God bless you!....
-Minister Derrick Jackson....
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