Seeing Through the Eyes of Charity

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be always acceptable to thee, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer, and Lord, give us here today, eyes to see and ears to hear so we can learn your word together as a family. We offer you all the praise, honor, and Glory for it in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Good morning, my fellow encouragers! Many years ago, a missionary in Africa met a man who had been blind since birth. Despite his blindness, this man radiated an incredible joy. He knew the voices of every person in his village. He navigated his surroundings with astonishing ease and always spoke with profound wisdom.

When the missionary asked how he remained joyful despite his blindness, the man smiled and said, “I may not see with my eyes, but I see with my heart. I see love, and that is enough.”

Meanwhile, the missionary also knew another man—this one sighted but bitter. Though he could see the beauty of the world around him, he was blind in a different way. He was blind to kindness, gratitude, and the needs of others. His vision was perfect, but his heart could not see.

This story reminds me of a contemporary Christian song by Paul Baloche titled “Open the eyes of my heart, Lord, open the eyes of my heart. I want to see you; I want to see you.”

Our readings for today highlight what this song puts to music. True sight, spiritual sight, does not come from the eyes but from love and the heart. Without charity, without love, we remain blind to the things of God. We may have knowledge, power, or status, but without love, we “see through a glass, darkly” (1 Cor. 13:12).

I. The Centrality of Charity: St. Paul’s Teaching (1 Corinthians 13:8-12)

Today’s Epistle reading from 1 Corinthians 13 is one of the most famous passages in all Scripture: often called the “Love Chapter,” St. Paul tells us that spiritual gifts—prophecies, tongues, and knowledge—are temporary, but charity (or love) endures forever.

1 Cor. 13:8-10 tells us, “Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.”

St. Paul is teaching us that knowledge, in and of itself, is insufficient. Human wisdom is limited—our understanding of God, of life, and of our purpose is always incomplete. We “see through a glass, darkly.” We grasp glimpses of truth, but they are always clouded.

But there is one thing that brings clarity: charity. Love is eternal and transformative and will one day bring us into the full light of God’s truth. When we love as Christ loves, we begin to see clearly.

II. The Gospel: Blindness and True Sight (Luke 18:31-43)

In today’s Gospel, we see a fascinating contrast between the blindness of the disciples and the sight of the blind beggar.

St. Luke tells us in verses 31-33 that Jesus takes the Twelve aside and reveals to them that He will be handed over, mocked, beaten, and crucified, but that on the third day, He will rise again. Yet, they do not understand. St. Luke emphasizes in verse 34, “They understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.”

The disciples had physical sight but were spiritually blind. Although they were close to Jesus, they failed to see the full truth of His mission.

Immediately after this, in verses 35-43, a blind beggar calls out, “Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me!” The crowd tries to silence him, but he cries out even louder. Jesus hears him, calls him over, and asks, “What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee?” The blind man responds, “Lord, that I may receive my sight!” And Jesus, seeing his faith, heals him: “Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee.”

Here, we see a paradox: Though physically sighted, the disciples are blind to Jesus’ mission. Meanwhile, the blind man, though physically blind, sees Christ clearly as the Son of David, the Messiah.

So, what made the difference? Love did! The blind man saw Jesus’ love for the world through the eyes of his heart, his spiritual eyes. But just as importantly, he also understood his need for mercy. He approached Christ with humility and faith, and in doing so, he gained both physical sight and greater spiritual vision. He followed Jesus, giving Glory to God.

This contrast between the disciples and the blind man teaches us some important lessons:

• It is possible to know about Christ, to hear His words, and yet remain blind to His truth.

• It is possible to be physically blind yet see God with greater clarity than those with perfect vision.

• Knowledge alone does not grant spiritual vision; only charity - only love does.

St. Paul confirms this paradox. “And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge… and have not charity, I am nothing.”

The disciples lacked understanding because they had not yet grown into the fullness of charity. The blind beggar saw clearly because his heart was filled with faith and love. “Open the eyes of my heart, Lord. Open the eyes of my heart. I want to see you. I want to see you.”

OK, so how do we cultivate this kind of spiritual vision? How do we move from blindness to sight? By first admitting our own blindness and then through prayer, asking to see. Blind Bartimaeus expressed it this way. “Lord, that I may see!” (Luke 18:41). That’s why I enjoy so much

The disciples did not know they were blind, and that was part of the problem. If we are to grow in charity, we must first recognize our own blindness. Where are we failing to love? Where are we failing to see Christ in others?

To cultivate our spiritual vision, we must make an effort to see others through the lens of Love.

Do we judge others harshly? Do we look at people with suspicion, or do we see them as Christ sees them? True charity means seeing people not as problems but as beloved children of God.

That doesn’t mean going through life naïvely unaware, though. Even Jesus called out evil. We should, too, but it helps to have our spiritual eyes open.

To cultivate our spiritual vision (and for some of us, this is a tough one), we must transition our knowledge, or what we think we know, to a knowledge in and of Love.

Knowing about Jesus is not enough. Even the disciples knew Jesus personally but did not yet fully understand Him. It is love that leads to true understanding. Instead of focusing only on gaining knowledge of God, focus on growing in love for God and for others.

To cultivate our spiritual vision, we must continue to seek true vision through prayer and action.

The blind man did not just sit quietly—he “cried out to Jesus for mercy.” His faith was active. If we want true vision, we must actively seek Christ in prayer and in our lives. Spend 5-10 minutes each day in silence, asking Jesus, “Lord, help me to see.” Sing to Him! “Open the eyes of my heart, Lord; I want to see you.”

St. Paul tells us that one day, “we shall see face to face” (1 Cor. 13:12). In eternity, all will become clear, and we will see God as He is. But even now, we can begin to see more clearly if we ask, as Bartimaeus did, “Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me,” and live in charity.

So, as we begin our Lenten journey on Ash Wednesday and don ashes as a sign of our mortality and a token of our repentance, let’s ask Jesus, with a humble and contrite heart, “Son of David, have mercy on me.” Praying that Christ will open the eyes of our hearts so that we may see Him, love Him, and love others as He loves us.

Open the eyes of my heart, Lord

Open the eyes of my heart.

I want to see You; I want to see You

To see You high and lifted up

Shining in the light of Your glory

Pour out Your power and love

As we sing

Holy, holy, holy

Holy, holy, holy

Holy, holy, holy

Holy holy holy

I want to see You