The Blindness that Prevents Understanding

And taking the twelve, he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.” But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said (Luke 18:31-34).

I can’t believe I never saw that before! I wish I knew this long ago! As diligent disciples, searching the scriptures and abiding in God’s Word, we enjoy the blessing of discovering new spiritual truth every day. In fact, one of the sure and certain evidences of the new birth is a hunger for more of the precious truth that is hidden like treasure in the Bible. Another confirmation of our new life in Christ is the ongoing revelation of deeper spiritual truth under the care and guidance of the Holy Spirit… “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come” (John 16:13). Discerning and grasping spiritual truth is an indispensable part of our growing up into Christ as the Spirit of Truth uses our hunger for truth to help us overcome the blindness that prevents understanding.

We sometimes misunderstand spiritual truth because we are blinded by shallow foresight. Christ’s warning only confirmed what the disciples saw as nothing but trouble ahead in Jerusalem. We cannot see the eternal truth of the scriptures if we are living for today. I sometimes amaze myself when in the light of the truth that I will live forever, I am so preoccupied with living for today. When I was born again I received new eyes to see beyond the circumstances and people of today and to discern how He is preparing me for eternity… “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (2 Corinthians 4:17). In the light of eternity, I can see how the trials and triumphs of today are refining my faith so that one day it will shine gloriously for Christ… “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:6-7). Living for Christ and His coming kingdom leads to clearer spiritual vision.

We sometimes do not grasp spiritual truth because we are bound by selfish fixation. Christ’s warning challenged the disciples’ anticipation of the end of persecution and tough times along with the promise of wonderful days of personal blessing just ahead. We cannot grasp the selfless truth of the scriptures if we are living for ourselves. As we become more like Christ we exchange the selfish nature for a new life in Christ, and this new life imitates the sacrificial life of our Savior… “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). As our faith grows we learn to agree with the spiritual truth affirmed through the pen of the Apostle Paul… “That I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death” (Philippians 3:10). Imitating the selfless life of Christ leads to increasing spiritual wisdom.

We sometimes do not see spiritual truth because we are blocked by stunted faith. Christ’s warning shook the disciples’ hope of His soon coming earthly reign. We cannot discern the unseen truth of the scriptures if we are living purely by natural sight. Maturing disciples do not say seeing is believing. Rather, we say believing is seeing! The Spirit teaches us to live according to what we believe about God instead of according to what our eyes perceive… “for we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). As our faith in revealed spiritual truth grows we begin to discern and understand things that had been hidden from us in the past, and that are still unseen by the unbelieving world around us… “We look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18). Growing faith leads to growing spiritual insight.

As we grow up into Christ, we trust God’s grace and the Holy Spirit’s power to overcome…

The Blindness that Prevents Understanding.