Christ Jesus Opens Your Eyes to See

Have you not heard, and have you not seen?

The Lord Jesus has laid His hands upon you. He has washed your body with pure water, and cleansed your soul of every stain, your conscience of all guilt and shame.

He has enlightened you with His Word and Holy Spirit; He has opened your eyes by His grace.

What, then, do you see?

If you perceive your life in the world only by your eyes of flesh, then you see nothing at all; or, you see only the Cross, but you cannot understand it or interpret it. Then you argue and contend with Jesus, and you worry about how you are going to make ends meet. You look for the resources of the world and its villages to feed and supply the Lord’s Church.

What, then, would you sacrifice to barter and bargain with Him?

And what would you have Him do for you and give to you, that He has not already done?

Why do you worry about your body, what you will eat and what you will wear? And how shall you suppose to buy the Lord’s favor and His providence by your work and wares? You cannot feed and clothe yourself — far less will you feed and clothe Him!

But life is not a commodity to be traded, bought or sold, and faith is not a marketplace.

You already have the sign by which you see clearly and understand,
and there is no other sign than this: the Cross and Resurrection of Christ.

For God has put Him to death, and yet, God has raised Him, and He lives, for you.

Everything is summed up in that: the poverty and want of your sin; your nakedness, hunger and fear; the frailty, weakness and failure of your fallen flesh; the impending curse of death, and the constant threat of your mortality.

Christ Jesus has borne and suffered all of that; He has died in your place, and He has risen from death and the grave for you. There is no other sacrifice for sin, but from His death there is life.

So He has given you new birth by water with His Word and Spirit, and daily He opens your eyes with forgiveness from His Cross. He has washed and cleansed and sanctified your body and soul, and clothes you in His righteousness. It is your body, also, He has saved — and He cares for it, as for you, and freely provides all that you need.

There is nothing lacking, as in His Church He feeds your flesh and blood with His own, for life. Look not to the village, but see here the food of Christ Jesus, given and poured out for you.