The Glorious Eyelid

And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.

John 9:39 ESV

Behold, the eyelid. It is a part of the body that we rarely consider, and yet, we could not live without them. Unnoticed and unappreciated, they tirelessly do their job our entire lives. We flicker them to moisten our eyes and hold them wide when we are amazed or frightened. These are involuntary movements, but there are times we use that tiny flap of skin purposefully. During the courtship stage a well-timed wink can speak volumes, displaying a playful affection. A slight closing communicates anger or suspicion. Eyelids also provide a protective aspect. An object comes flying at you and your first reaction is to close your eyes. Furthermore, imagine attempting to sleep without eyelids. Don’t overlook the importance of eyelids.

Augustine once wrote, “Men go abroad to wonder at the height of the mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motion of the stars; and they pass by themselves without wondering.” It is an old and well-worn saying that “there are none so blind as those who will not see.” This is especially true when it comes to the gospel.

Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” Have you ever wondered why the truth of the gospel seemingly bounces off the eardrums of the lost when Christ is presented clearly? It takes a work of the Holy Spirit to break through the blinded eyes of non-believers and He is well able to do it.

Paul himself discover in Damascus the frightening experience of realizing that scales covered his eyes. His eyelids were crusted over with hatred for the followers of Christ. Ananias prayed over him, and his eyes were open. God looks for the repentant heart, and he is happy to give sight to the blind.

God has given mankind two eyelids to remain open to His glory and two ears to hear His voice. However, something more is needed to respond to His invitation to enter the Kingdom. The Bible says that it is with the heart that man believes on Christ. Faith requires that we first lay down the rebellion in our hearts. We cannot believe without first acknowledging our sinfulness and then raising the white flag of surrender to the throne of heaven. We have been the king of our world since birth and until we surrender our right to the throne He cannot sit there. CS Lewis once wrote, “In the end there are only two kinds of people. Those who say, ‘Thy will be done.’” And those to whom God says, “Thy will be done.” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains. Repent and sight, faith, and glory will come rushing in.