As Sadhu sat at Jesus' feet, he asked ..."Why do you hide yourself, O Master, from those that love you and long to see you?"
Is that not a question we have asked, sometimes envying the Old Testament saints who had such visual evidences of God and the people who lived when Jesus physically walked this earth?
Here is how Jesus answered Sadhu's question.
He said, "True happiness does not depend on physical sight, but rather on spiritual vision and depends on the heart."
He went on to speak of those who looked upon Him the years He lived among men but they did not all receive Him and gain happiness. Simply seeing Him with physical eyes is not enough, we must see Him with our spiritual eyes because God is a spiritual Being. We cannot see our own spirits, so how do we think we can see the Creator of them?
Jesus asked, "Do you think those who saw me in Palestine all had their spiritual eyes opened, or did I Myself become mortal?
The answer , of course, is that I took on a mortal body so that in it I might give a ranson for the sins of the world. When the work of salvation was completed for sinners then that of me that was immortal tranfigured what was mortal into glory! Therefore, after the resurrection only those who had received spiritual sight could see me."
Act 10:40,41 "Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly, not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. "
Jesus spoke of how many people only know about Him but do not have a relationship with Him, do not know Him as their Lord and Savior.
You can talk to a blind man about colors. Tell him all about red and blue and yellow, yet he has no concept of the colours charm and beauty. His eyes being blind, he attaches no value to them.
In the same way, no matter how learned a man may be , until his spiritual eyes are opened he cannot know Jesus, he cannot behold His glory nor can he comprehend that He is God Incarnate.
To be aware of Jesus presence is not dependant on physical sight.
When the physical eye is clouded, medicene can be dropped into the eye , the eye does not see it but the presence of the medicene is felt cleansing the inner eye and promoting the power of sight.
"So also people cannot see the peace that I bring into the hearts of those who are born of Me, but they feel it and become happy in it. It is the same with the tongue and sweet food.
The sense of taste in the tongue and the sweet flavor in the food are both invisible yet they give pleasure.
In the same way I give of the hidden manna, which the world cannot see, to My children and give them life and joy!"
Rev 2:7 "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God."
When we are sick, often our sense of taste is interfered with, and we lose our enjoyment of food. The food may be ever so tasty but the sick person has lost his appetite for it and turns away.
In the same way sin interferes with the taste for spiritual things. God's Word and presence lose their attraction to us and instead of profiting by them , we begin to argue about them and criticize.
Take a piece of charcoal and try to wash it. Scrub as hard as you can but it will never lose its 'blackness'. However, if you allow fire to enter it, the dark color vanishes.
So also the Holy Spirit in the hearts of God's children does His work and all the blackness of sin is driven away, and we are made lights to the world.
"As the fire in the charcoal, so I abide in My children and they in Me and through them I make Myself visible to the world."
Mat 3:11 " ...... He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire."
********
tomorrow - Sadhu's request/question ... "If you would only manifest yourself by special revelation to the world then men would no longer doubt the existence of God and all would believe and enter on the path of righteousness."
***
Is that not a question we have asked, sometimes envying the Old Testament saints who had such visual evidences of God and the people who lived when Jesus physically walked this earth?
Here is how Jesus answered Sadhu's question.
He said, "True happiness does not depend on physical sight, but rather on spiritual vision and depends on the heart."
He went on to speak of those who looked upon Him the years He lived among men but they did not all receive Him and gain happiness. Simply seeing Him with physical eyes is not enough, we must see Him with our spiritual eyes because God is a spiritual Being. We cannot see our own spirits, so how do we think we can see the Creator of them?
Jesus asked, "Do you think those who saw me in Palestine all had their spiritual eyes opened, or did I Myself become mortal?
The answer , of course, is that I took on a mortal body so that in it I might give a ranson for the sins of the world. When the work of salvation was completed for sinners then that of me that was immortal tranfigured what was mortal into glory! Therefore, after the resurrection only those who had received spiritual sight could see me."
Act 10:40,41 "Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly, not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. "
Jesus spoke of how many people only know about Him but do not have a relationship with Him, do not know Him as their Lord and Savior.
You can talk to a blind man about colors. Tell him all about red and blue and yellow, yet he has no concept of the colours charm and beauty. His eyes being blind, he attaches no value to them.
In the same way, no matter how learned a man may be , until his spiritual eyes are opened he cannot know Jesus, he cannot behold His glory nor can he comprehend that He is God Incarnate.
To be aware of Jesus presence is not dependant on physical sight.
When the physical eye is clouded, medicene can be dropped into the eye , the eye does not see it but the presence of the medicene is felt cleansing the inner eye and promoting the power of sight.
"So also people cannot see the peace that I bring into the hearts of those who are born of Me, but they feel it and become happy in it. It is the same with the tongue and sweet food.
The sense of taste in the tongue and the sweet flavor in the food are both invisible yet they give pleasure.
In the same way I give of the hidden manna, which the world cannot see, to My children and give them life and joy!"
Rev 2:7 "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God."
When we are sick, often our sense of taste is interfered with, and we lose our enjoyment of food. The food may be ever so tasty but the sick person has lost his appetite for it and turns away.
In the same way sin interferes with the taste for spiritual things. God's Word and presence lose their attraction to us and instead of profiting by them , we begin to argue about them and criticize.
Take a piece of charcoal and try to wash it. Scrub as hard as you can but it will never lose its 'blackness'. However, if you allow fire to enter it, the dark color vanishes.
So also the Holy Spirit in the hearts of God's children does His work and all the blackness of sin is driven away, and we are made lights to the world.
"As the fire in the charcoal, so I abide in My children and they in Me and through them I make Myself visible to the world."
Mat 3:11 " ...... He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire."
********
tomorrow - Sadhu's request/question ... "If you would only manifest yourself by special revelation to the world then men would no longer doubt the existence of God and all would believe and enter on the path of righteousness."
***
3 comments:
I will have to point out that neurological research is finding that there is a specific area of the brain that is activated when a person says they feel God's presence. Some people's brain area activates easily, others rarely, regardless of how much they meditate on God and His word. Mother Theresa was one of those who was greatly troubled by her lack of a sense of God's presence. Sin was not the issue, obviously, but rather her own specific brain pattern.
Jill, Have you read "Who Switched off my Brain?" by Caroline Leaf. Neurological research is changing its mind about how the brain actually works. I found the book fascinating, and so confirming of scripture.
Interesting thoughts and also the dialogue of the comments.
I do certainly agree that when sin has entered into life. .my taste for reading God`s word is strangely vacant.
Thanks for the thoughts Julie.
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