Spiritual Blindness
By the time my mom was my age, she was legally blind from macular degeneration. My aunt also had dry macular degeneration, so I have taken vision vitamins for decades. However, because of my diabetes and general health, I still deal with vision problems. I had cataracts in both eyes removed, but have to get bimonthly shots to prevent floaters in my eyes because of diabetic retinopathy. In addition, I am at risk for glaucoma because of high intraocular pressure. A recent treatment made me blind for 24 hours, a very stressful 24 hours. Needless to say, I have educated myself about vision.
We see when light enters the eye. It is focused by the cornea and lens, and lands on the retina, where light-sensitive cells called rods and cones convert the photons into electrical signals. These signals then travel through the optic nerve to the brain, where the images are perceived.
No one has seen God's full glory (1:18; 1 Timothy 1:17; Exodus 33:20). However, people can "see" God through experiences like Jacob seeing His power (Genesis 32:30) or Moses encountering Him in the burning bush, though not His face. Figuratively, believers "see" God through faith, understanding His works in creation and the Bible, and this vision becomes clearer in Jesus. The ultimate promise is seeing God "face to face" in eternity after death, as described in 1 Corinthians 13:12 and Revelation 22:4
God says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." Matt 5:8. So how do we see God today?
Jesus, being God, made the Father known; seeing Him is seeing God (John 1:18, John 14:9).
- Seeing with the "eyes of the heart" through faith, understanding God's qualities (Ephesians 1:18, 1 Chronicles 28:9).
- Recognizing God's power and wisdom in creation (Romans 1:20, Job 42:5).
- Experiences like Jacob's wrestling match or Moses' burning bush, where God revealed Himself in comprehensible ways (Genesis 32, Exodus 3).
As with all things of God, it goes further. Gal 2:20 says, “I am crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself up for me.” This means when we examine ourselves, we should see the image of Christ in ourselves. I don't know about you, but this is an area in which I experience frequent blindness.
My therapist has often stated her prayer that I could see myself the way she sees me, and while I can often see God in others, in my mirror, I usually do not. I have spiritual blindness.
Types of blindness are categorized by the extent (partial/complete), cause (age, disease, genetics, injury, nutrition), and nature (cortical vs. ocular) of vision impairment.
Let's examine those common conditions I mentioned earlier,
Macular degeneration symptoms primarily affect central vision, causing blurriness, dark or empty spots, and difficulty recognizing faces, reading, or driving, with common signs including straight lines appearing wavy, faded colors, and trouble seeing in low light. Spiritually, this means I cannot see the core or truth; I can't see the light, or what I do see is occluded or has gaps. When we can not see the Christ in us, we are sinning and calling Him a liar. Or we don't know Him well enough to recognize Him.
Glaucoma is peripheral visual loss. There are three types of glaucoma: neurovascular, inflammatory, and traumatic. The most common (open-angle) causes gradual loss of peripheral (side) vision, creating tunnel vision, while acute angle-closure glaucoma causes sudden, severe eye pain, headaches, blurred vision, halos, lights, and red eyes. Glaucoma is caused by damage to the optic nerve. This occurs when the eye's drainage angle gets blocked, preventing fluid (aqueous humor) from draining properly, leading to nerve damage and vision loss. Spiritual blockages can come in many forms. They can come from the sins of our fathers, the sins of others against us, or our own sins. Any form of sin can block us from seeing Jesus.
Diabetic retinopathy occurs when the tiny blood vessels in your retina are damaged. Over time, these vessels can weaken, swell, leak fluid or blood, or even grow abnormally (proliferate), disrupting the retina's ability to send clear signals to your brain, leading to vision problems and potential blindness. When blood vessels are messed up, blood isn't transported properly. Spiritually, this means we are not allowing the blood of Jesus to get to certain areas of our lives and redeem them.
I added one, Cerebral Visual Impairment (CVI) affects the brain's ability to process sight. In this case, the vision works fine, but the brain no longer interprets the image correctly. CVI makes the world seem like a "kaleidoscope" of meaningless patterns, as the brain struggles to make sense of visual input.
CVI symptoms include:
Visual Attention & Recognition:
Difficulty locating items in cluttered spaces or busy scenes.
Staring at lights or shiny objects rather than toys/books.
Trouble recognizing familiar people or objects.
Delayed responses to visual stimuli.
Visual Preferences:
Strong preference for bright colors (red, yellow) or black/white contrast.
Better attention to moving objects than static ones.
Preferring to look at things up close.
Poor or inconsistent eye contact;
Visual Fatigue & Overwhelm:
Vision "turning off" or needing breaks.
Quitting activities requiring hand-eye coordination.
Becoming overwhelmed in visually busy environments.
Coordination:
Clumsiness, tripping, or bumping into things.
Difficulty reaching for something while looking at it.
Literally, this type of spiritual blindness would make it difficult to see the Jesus in you.
Are you spiritually blind? See yourself the way Jesus sees you. If You Could See What I See
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