I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love towards all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
Reflection
Like many people, I need to visit an optician regularly, to test my eyes and to make sure I can drive safely, read comfortably and see the view clearly. My eyes are enlightened! How grateful I am that such things are readily available. When my frames broke, on a recent train journey, and I couldn’t use my glasses, I realised how much I would struggle to function even with my small impairment. And it’s not just about practicalities – it’s also about beauty and seeing well the things that feed my soul. I feel for friends and colleagues whose eyesight is much worse than mine and who have to do more to compensate.
The writer of the letter to the Ephesians talks about ‘the eyes of the heart’ and prays that ours may be enlightened, so that we can truly see the hope to which God has called us, the riches of our inheritance and the immeasurable greatness of God’s power. This is a powerful metaphor. How are we making sure that the ‘eyes of our heart’ are cared for as well as we care for our physical eyes? When we pray we have often been taught to close our eyes, to stop using those for a moment, and perhaps to use the eyes of our heart, to see more truly the mysteries of God. I know that when I’m at the opticians I concentrate hard and do my best to discern well (the red or the green? press the button when you see a flash of light…). I hope I can begin to practise with such intention seeing with the eyes of my heart. By God’s grace, may we all be given the lenses we need so that the eyes of the heart are enlightened.
Frederich Buechner, novelist and theologian, once wrote about seeing his first grandchild for the first time. With his physical eyes he saw a small boy with blond hair and eyes the colour of denim. But with the eyes of his heart he saw a life that without hesitation he would give his life for.
Prayer
God who calls to me,
shed your light on the eyes of my heart,
that I may see more clearly
the wonders of your grace.
Place on my nose
the lenses of your love
that I may smile again at what I see
and know more fully and more joyfully
what you are holding before me this day.
Amen.
