Real Eyes, to Realize, Where the Real Lies

Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes,

And prudent in their own sight!

– Isaiah 5:21

Michael McInerney is often quoted as having said, “Jesus gives us real eyes, so we can realize, where the real lies.” Beyond just being a cute little play on words, there is some really profound truth in that statement. We rely so much on our sight to let us know what’s going on around us, what’s in our way, what our perceived “reality” is. How often have you used or heard the phrase, “I’ll believe it when I see it?” In the spiritual realm, seeing isn’t always believing, nor does believing always come from seeing, at least not with our natural eyes. The Pharisees saw with their own eyes the miracles Jesus performed, but yet did not believe. Their spiritual eyes were closed so they were blind to the fact that He was their promised Messiah. Which eyes are you looking through, your own, or the ones Jesus gave you?

that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,

may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,

the eyes of your understanding being enlightened;

that you may know what is the hope of His calling,

what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints

– Ephesians 1:17-18

When we receive the gift of life that Jesus offers and allow the Holy Spirit to work in us, He opens our spiritual eyes to some stark realities about ourselves and the world. This is when we see just what our sin has done to us, what it is doing to the world, how it has separated us all from God, and our need for a Savior to bridge that gap. This is the greatest realization anyone can come to, because it is the only one with eternal consequences. Once our eyes are truly opened to this, we can’t help but look to nowhere else but Jesus.

So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes.

And immediately their eyes received sight,

and they followed Him. – Matthew 20:34



While we’re looking to Jesus for our salvation, are we ignoring the rest of the world, or are we now seeing them as Jesus does? Are we looking to the lost with compassion and a desire to show them the love of God, or are we looking at them with disgust and condemnation for their sin? The reality is that the lost and dying world needs Jesus too, and it is our job to point them toward Him that their eyes may also be opened. Once your eyes have been opened to the real destruction of sin, don’t go back to sleep and pretend the rest of the world doesn’t exist. Use your real eyes, to realize, where the real lies.