Can you recall a moment in your life, where with Eyes Opened wide, you could no longer ignore some kind of truth? Perhaps someone drew your attention to the arrow in the FedEx logo for the first time and now you can’t unsee it. Or the word “mom” hidden in the shirt collar of the Wendy’s trademark. But what if we ponder something deeper than trivial marketing strategies? Possibly a moment when your eyes were opened to being naïve about how harsh the actual adult world can be, such as a personal awareness of how people’s words and actions often do not align. Or how challenging a season-ending injury can be to an athlete’s identity? Or the reality of experiencing a Silent Grief that no one else seems able to understand?

According to Webster’s dictionary, to open someone’s eyes means “to cause someone to notice or realize something important or surprising.” At times we may have Eyes Opened to something wonderful and unexpected like the Surprise and Delight of the sun’s bright rays highlighting the fall bounty of color in the trees. Other times, eyes being opened may uncover something hurtful and traumatic like the heartache and grief experienced at the death of someone dearly loved. However, I offer that many of life’s Eye-Opening moments are often a blend of both experiences where the uniqueness of this Paradoxical Life blends elements that are both hurtful and healing. We often must live in a world that Doesn’t Make Sense!

However, here’s what does make sense to me in this Season of Life where guiding and multiplying are priorities—everyone needs Jesus. And I see a world full of young people who are starving for both the head and heart knowledge that a relationship with Jesus can provide. As pastor Eric Gilbert shares, “There is no human problem in the world that following Jesus does not provide a solution to.” I can teach college students about all the dimensions of health—physical, emotional, and beyond—but if they do not have Eyes Opened to the saving grace of Jesus as Lord and Savior, they are missing out on the most significant knowledge they could ever have!

Gilbert draws our attention to a passage of Scripture in Mark 7, “Jesus put his fingers into the [deaf] man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s [muted] tongue. ³⁴ He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means “Be opened!”). ³⁵ At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly.” The man’s eyes, ears, and heart were open because Jesus asked heaven to be made available to this man, just as He’s made it available to all of us, so why in the world do we close off our eyes, ears, and heart to the flourishing life He so desires to give? Let me rephrase that, why do I struggle to come to the End of Me and go All In with Jesus?

“’Ephphatha — be opened,’ sums up Christ’s entire mission,” shares Pope Benedict. Humanity was once closed, it was deaf and dumb because of sin, but Jesus gave himself so that heaven would be open to any who answer Jesus’ knock. So, Gilbert challenges, “Why would anyone close the door to Him?” Jesus asked God to open heaven to us, “Ephphatha!” and He did. All He asks in return is that we now have Eyes Opened to “notice and realize something important and surprising”—He is the solution to everything—every problem, every heartache, every moment of joy, He is the answer to it all. And we have the best Hospitality Room awaiting us if we just choose to open the door.

References:

Catholic News Agency. (2012, September 9). ‘Be opened’ sums up Christ’s mission, Pope says. Catholic News Agency. Retrieved from https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/25636/be-opened-sums-up-christs-mission-pope-says

Gilbert, E. (2024, October 27). Ephphatha. Be opened. [Message]. 3Trees Church. Campbellsville, Kentucky.

Mirriam-Webster, Inc. (2024). Eyes opened. Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eye-opening