What Do You See?

The king of Babylon made Zedekiah watch as he slaughtered his sons at Riblah. The king of Babylon also slaughtered all the nobles of Judah. Then he gouged out Zedekiah’s eyes and bound him in bronze chains to lead him away to Babylon. [Jeremiah 39.6-7]

First, what Nebuchadnezzar did to Zedekiah was horrific. One can only imagine the pain and agony Zedekiah suffered watching his sons and nobles slaughtered. 

And then, the pain of Zedekiah having his eyes gouged out is unthinkable.

When we ask ourselves, "why?" however, we will see there is an important spiritual principle on clear display through this event. What our eyes see has significance. Nebuchadnezzar understood this principle.

What we see leaves an indelible impression upon our mind. Regardless what we say, we cannot unsee what we have seen. We can however see more as if to distract our mind from what it has seen, but we cannot erase what has been seen. This is precisely why Nebuchadnezzar gouged out Zedekiah's eyes - so that further sight could never distract Zedekiah's mind of the last thing he saw.

Job said this:

I made a covenant with my eyes not to look with lust at a young woman. [Job 31.1]

Jesus said this:

But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. [Matthew 5.28]

We should remain mindful that "woman" can be interchanged with "idol" as it pertains to committing adultery against God.

What we see has much to do with what we consider. Just as Zedekiah's last sight left him considering the slaughter of everyone he held dear, so, what we look upon leaves us considering whatever it is we have seen. This spiritual principle cannot be overcome. The only way to not see and consider something is to not look at it. Job had that much figured out early on. Jesus later confirmed it.

As we see thus far, it matters not whether we look upon a member of the opposite sex or watch the slaughter of our loved ones, there is a permanent impression made on our minds that cannot be undone.

Here is where we should consider our gaze upon the Cross of Jesus. Of all the things in this world we can look at, nothing has more value than this. If we refuse to look upon anything else but Jesus' work on our behalf, we have great potential to continually be affected by what we last saw and considered. If we can accept it, we must "blind ourselves" to everything else that would distract us so that the Cross of Christ has the greatest possible effect on our lives.

What we see is what we consider ...and it matters a great deal.

Father, may my eyes be reserved for You and particularly for Jesus' work on my behalf. As I look upon Jesus' life, death and resurrection, may I be found imitating only that and nothing else with my own life. So be it.