Seeing The Invisible

“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2Co 4:17-18 AV)

 

We have a vision problem.  It is natural to regard that which we can easily observe.  We must do this.  We cannot avoid a car accident if we are not looking at what our eyes can naturally see.  We know we need food in the house when our cupboards are bare.  We notice our shoe has come untied and fix the problem before we trip and fall.  A co-worker smiles and this effortless act brightens our day; if even for a bit.  Conversely, we notice a scowl and wisely avoid lengthy conversations with someone who might be in a bad mood.  We begin to assemble a sandwich but notice mold on the bread.  After buttoning our shirt, we chuckle because we didn’t line up the buttons right.  Now we have to unbutton the shirt and start all over.  We live in a temporal world.  We would not be able to function if we didn’t notice temporal things.  Accidents would happen.  Misjudgments would occur.  If we did not concern ourselves with temporal things, we would go hungry, not have a place to lay our head, or even care to go off to work.  A concern of the temporal in natural and necessary.  Yet, Paul is telling us we needlessly suffer because the temporal has become more important than the eternal.  That upon which our attention is fixated; temporal or eternal; will determine how heavy a weight we carry.

Visiting patients in the hospital is a regular task of the ministry.  I have been in all sorts of hospitals.  Serving in the Rochester, NY area, there were five different hospitals to which I was sent.  Moving to the Chicago area, there were even more.  Serving in western, KY, there were four in the immediate area, but if one of my members went to Nashville, there were several more to which I might be sent.  Now, serving in the Milwaukee area, there are many more to which I will visit.  In a handful of those hospitals, I would not prefer to avail myself of services offered there.  Especially if there was an overnight stay involved.  It was not because of the level of care.  It would not have been due to the nursing staff.  The food would not have been my biggest concern.  The cost would be down on the list.  It may seem a bit unusual, but the number one consideration for me would be the view I would have out my room’s window.  I can recall a few folks I went to visit and the only view they had was a brick wall.  Others had an outside view, but the bed was out of sight of the window.  Then there were those blessed patients who had a clear view out the window and could see the sunshine, the horizon with billowing hills in the far distance, or fresh snow that had fallen overnight.  Once hospital I visited had a view of Lake Michigan.  I have noticed those patients with better views also had a better disposition.  Their field of observation was not limited to their small little room.  They could see afar off.

As our world goes ever more towards rejecting the LORD, the child of God needs to keep his eyes in the right direction.  Paul stated the same truth in a slightly different way.  “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” (Col 3:1-2 AV)  The motivation is slightly different.  In our text, we are to look on eternal things so as to lighten the weight of temporal things.  In Colossians, we are to look on heavenly things because we are a new creature with new interests and affections.  The point is simple.  If we are to lighten the affliction of this temporal life, we cannot allow it to be our primary focus.  There is the golden streets, the communion of the saints, and the river of life.  There are perfect righteousness and the end of all tribulations.  Most of all, there is the unobscured presence of our LORD and Saviour Jesus Christ.  We put our eyes on Him and the load we are carrying will become immensely lighter!