Seeing Ourselves through Blind Eyes, Part 2

Today from Chuck Swindoll on Insight for living where Jesus heals it is more open than modern instant healing, no healing well. No exchange of money crowd gathering to make him look great open meeting the public and save the boss will never know what it's like to be blind to those without sight, even the most routine functions of life become challenging like walking through a room with limited obstacles work knowing when to safely cross a busy intersection today on Insight for living. Swindoll invites us to follow along in Matthew chapter 20 as we examine the tender moment between Jesus and to blame Jesus took compassion on their plight and as a result, change their lives forever. Chuck titled today's message seeing ourselves through blind eyes make this time of special significance for all of us. Her father, may we be brought from the first century into the 21st and made the bridge between that century, and this one be a clear statement made possible by the application of what you have written for whatever has been written has been written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort from the scriptures might have hope. Give us that sense of hope. Give us the realization of life as it really is not, as we have wished it to be not as we have imagined. It is, but as it is in raw reality and the light of the Lord bring us to our knees were. We acknowledge our own blindness, darkness without Christ, may become evident to all of us. And may we also realize that unless you touch us spiritually is returned to you by faith. There is really no hope of deliverance and no possibility of change. So thank you in advance for ministering through your word today. Take away all interrupting thoughts. All things that would distract so that we might focus fully on these few verses and realize the power of your word as it is set for. Thank you for the privilege of giving to your work be pleased. I pray in the giver the motive and the way these monies are handled. May they be done. May that be done with integrity and for your greater glory touch many lives and we could not otherwise reach. Personally, through our gifts and we give them with gratitude and in generosity in the name of Jesus we pray and we get everyone's a man you're listening to Insight for living to study the book of Matthew with Chuck Swindoll sure to download his searching the Scriptures. Studies by going to Insight world.org/studies and now the message from Chuck that he titled seeing ourselves through blind eyes. We read in verse 29 of a large crowd following behind Jesus and what they're saying often includes names, in this case the name of Jesus and these two blind men when they heard the name Jesus. They heard hope this is their only chance to connect with the one who can transform the physical condition. So I begin to shout, have mercy on us until you enter into a story like this is just another story is just another couple blind man tragic it we would ever get that cynical.

This is preserved for us to learn from some from it. Something about our lives.

We have an opportunity to see ourselves through blind eyes. If we just pay attention. I love it that when Jesus heard them, remember he's in the tail end of his ministry. He's been dealing with people for my mom and Bob and Bob just as easily walked on, not Jesus, not in this situation he heard them and he stalked.

They didn't always stop yelling and then he called, they could hear what you want me to do for you. Now before I go further. He could see they were blind. This might seem a little unusual question to ask. I'm not trying to add humor here. I just think it's an unusual question until I thought about is not unusual at all. He wanted to hear them acknowledge their condition. I mean there were a lot of things he can done for them.

He could have up providing for their needs. From here on. He could have given them strength that was far ahead of their age, he could solve any of their physical needs, what is it you want me to do for you. You wanted them to acknowledge their need and without hesitation is exactly what they did.

Lori see blind North Sea, verse 34 is a marvelous verse begins with squat. The great Greek word that takes it out of the base of the abdomen worse believed that the passions the feelings are at the this is the seat of emotion and down deep inside of him. He felt for them. You've had those feelings will often say I feel deeply for this person off of the deep sense of grief or deep sorrow. Sympathy goes to the bottomless depths of his beating he cares about being moved with compassion over their situation. He makes his way to the otherwise he couldn't touch them. So I fight through the crowd comes back to them.

This is a great moment, he touches the very area of the greatest need their eyes instantly. Just as quickly as you lifted your eyelids earlier they could see.

In fact you missed something in the English because the Greek says they could see again telling us that they once all but had somehow lost her sight.

They regained their sight, which makes the blind is all the more painful because they realize what they're missing. Having seen earlier in their lives. They now are no longer able to see what they once all like my Marine friend. He lost his sight, no doubt in combat. Maybe from a bomb explosion.

Something he remembers what it was like once to see and it was suddenly 11, when Jesus heals it is more often than not, not always, but more often than not in instant healing. No phony healing here, no healing line. No exchange of money, no crowd gathering event to make him look great is not a man leaving a public image. Jesus Savior is the master and with no loss of power.

He reaches over and he touches their eyes and instantly they could see again and we read in the following course you. I love the little piece who that we Lord, but the soul force to satisfy exhaust the spring the waters free. All other springs are dry. We have no one else to follow. None of this crowd.

To summarize, you did we follow you.

God's word preserves stories like this. As I said earlier, not to fill spaces. He wasn't looking for something to fill in between verse 28 and chapter 20 in verse one of 21 chapter 21 yet he has a an interlude where he wants you and me to pause and take a deep breath, let the wonder in so that we can see ourselves through blind eyes, a major lesson I see from this is, it is important for each one of us to realize our actual condition. Some of you have reached this age in life and you have systematically worked on ways to keep from facing the truth and I'm going to tell you the truth, you are at the core of your being a sinner, a sinner by birth a sinner by choice and a sinner by nature.

You're as bad off as you can possibly be.

Apart from Christ. Your world is a world of spiritual darkness called in the Scriptures death dead doesn't get darker than death that your condition it makes total sense in the world that they would cry for mercy that your cry. I don't come before the Lord in this condition went with my hands full of money. You don't need my money. I uncovered a lot of possessions to promise I'll give you when I die, you don't need any possession. I come just as I am without anything else I come sinful woman a sinful man and I'll tell you when you realize your human condition. It will frighten you. You're an adult now.

Sorry able to face you couldn't face it.

As a child, but you can as an adult. All this came home to me when I was reading through Chuck Colson's fine book who speaks for God's love those books. Chuck wrote that didn't get a lot of national press are part or publicity looking across a segment of the book tells a very moving story.

Chuck writes of watching a segment of television 60 minutes for Mike Wallace but then interviewed Auschwitz survivor Yaya Hagel die newer DIN you are not your was a principal witness in the Nuremberg war crime trials stay with during the interview Chuck writes there's a film clip from Adolf Eichmann's 1961 trial, which showed Doug Mueller entering the courtroom. Remember he was. He was a principal witness having been an Auschwitz victim show that you are entering the courtroom and coming face-to-face with Eichmann for the first time since being sent to Auschwitz almost 20 years earlier.

Imagine soft told in the courtroom, nor did begin to sob uncontrollably and then freed right to the floor.

The judge began to pound his gavel to gain order in the court. Colson asks was done. You are overcome by hatred of fear, horrid memories. Chuck then answers no, it was none of these rather is done or explained to Mike Wallace, all at once he realized Eichmann was not this high-ranking Army officer among the Nazis would since so many to their deaths. Eichmann was just a man sitting in a cage and die.

Newer says. I was afraid about myself.

I saw that I'm capable to do this. I am exactly like he's. What made the man suddenly collapsed was the terrible discovery that there is a not all of us. You don't want to hear that. I felt a chill go up my back when I read it on the page of that book without Christ you and are capable of the most heinous of crimes without Christ, we have nothing worthwhile to bring to God will we ever acknowledge that is why appreciate the blind man just so we are blind answering in the 21st century just save my soul dark and dead and lost without Christ, you're looking at a walking murderer course with kidney, lest you think I'm a little hard on us. Look at Romans chapter 3 is not a pretty picture. Paul paints when I preached on Romans three. I called it Cinerama in panorama it says it straight and you'll never hear it from the Supreme Court. You never hear about it in public arenas you hear about it in the word of God.

This is humanity in the raw. Romans three verse 10 no one is righteous, not even one. No one is truly wise.

No one is seeking God look at the no one and the all all have turned away all become useless. No one does good, not a single one. The talk is foul like the stench from an open grave. The tongs are filled with lies snake venom dripped from their lives. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness they rush to commit murder, destruction and misery.

Always follow them but I don't know where to find peace.

They have no fear of God in all that is humanity without Christ and you will never hear it except in a place like this for truth is told in your left to come to terms with these blind beggars were simply feeling sorry for themselves. They were calling out to one who could transform their condition. Just as I would wish Doug Nour would know the Savior, and could save him from such misery. He may not live all of his life, fearing that the Eichmann with him him will begin to act out. Only Christ can stop it. Never doubted the blind needed. One thing the touch of Jesus nor the person in the crowd could change their eyesight justice. My Marine friend that I never met will never get a healing from our doctors. They do exams they do surgery. They dispense medicine to heal. They don't cure Jesus heals Jesus changes condition.

The very best psychologist cannot reach of the my system and change my nature. Only Jesus because I am deep with in to the core of my being lost in the darkness of my blind sinful. Here's a question for you or you aware of your actual condition. No telling how often you come to church. I mean it's a better place to be than any other place I can think of but it doesn't change you know, don't tell me of your Christian friends Christian friends cannot transform you on the inside. I want to know about you and your craw and and and the cross of Christ you in the Savior. Jesus, you acknowledge before him that you are blind and naked and dark and dying and on time and without him. You have no hope. And so you come you can. John Newton did this way back in 18th century. What a rebel lot about his age. They took him in the Royal Navy made a mess of things in the Navy ultimately had a battle of wills with the skipper wrote in the hold of the ship left to die.

Big gaping hole in his side, having been harpoon getting back on board the lever down there bleeding broken realizing my mother was right. The teaching I heard from my mother before I went to the streets and lived like a fool.

That's the teaching I should embrace now. He took Christ and he later gave us a song that we to this day still sing. It is one of our favorites. Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me don't change the word rich secrete word John Newton was a rich world retching's that saved a wretch like me I once was lost but now am found was what was blind but now I see no please billiards I speak to everyone of you today because I I do not know all of you. I speak to all of you the same without Christ you have zero hope without Christ. It's all going to rely on positive thinking, which will get very thin on your deathbed without Christ, you were not ready for eternity. Trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, believing him call out to him, tell them of your condition, acknowledge it, Lord. I fully acknowledge. I live in a world of death. My motives are evil and my words are often course and my thoughts are wicked and my plans were selfish.

My ways are wrong. So I come to Christ and I asked him to touch me and see me.

I have no one else to turn to give me what I'm not able to find in any one give me eternal life by.

Yes, amazing Grace, I once was lost but because of Jesus. I now am found I was blind but now I see you're listening to the Bible teaching of Chuck Swindoll. He titled today study in Matthew chapter 20 seeing ourselves through blind eyes, and to learn more about Chuck Swindoll and this ministry. Please visit us online@insightworld.org and Insight for living were always on the lookout for resources and materials that will help you see the world through the lens of Scripture and today were especially pleased to point you toward a book, trucks, recommending is written by a fellow pastor who has keen insight on cultural issues of our time voting Baucom has written a thought-provoking book titled faultlines that helps Christians understand the nuances of the social justice movement, and in particular the implications of critical race theory like a fault line.

These matters threaten to divide us and whether you're a layperson who's trying to engage in grace filled conversations on race or a pastor was to address these important topics with the compassion of Jesus you want to read faultlines. You can purchase a copy right now by going to Insight.org/offer. Let me add that when you give a donation to Insight for living your gift is channeled directly toward reaching other people trucks Bible teaching so they can benefit from life lessons just as you have in your gifts are truly making a difference. Your fellow listeners left this comment and said I've been going through a particularly difficult time in find myself encouraged and strengthened as I was bless you for your faithfulness and for making this ministry of well these moments are sponsored by all those who give donations to contribute right now, here's the number to call if you listing in the United States, call 800-772-8888 or give online@insight.org that's insight.org travelers who want to take a tour to Israel have lots of choices, but few measure up to the thoughtful journey prepared by Insight for living ministries with the proper mix of historical information and biblical context. We provide ample opportunities to pause and let the wonder in our goal is to create special moment when you deepen your love for the Bible and draw closer to your ward experience an unforgettable 12 day tour to Israel Chuck Swindoll Insight for living ministries March 6-17, 2022. To help you grasp the significance of each slight you will be accompanied by handpicked Israeli guidance and we choose the best, along with some of the retrained pastors and professors to enhance your spiritual journey, no organization I know of offers this level of exceptional in depth instruction and personal care for holy land travel to learn more, call 1-888-447-0444. Just imagine walking along sacred sites and watching the Bible the line make your reservation by calling 1-888-447-0444 or go to insight.org/events Insight for living ministries tour to Israel is paid for and made possible by only those who choose to attend now for my friend Dave Speicher.

I'm Wayne Sheppard urging you to join us again Friday when Chuck Swindoll describes a pivotal moment in our study of Matthew's gospel on Insight for living. The preceding message seeing ourselves through blind eyes was copyrighted in 2017 and 2021 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2021 by Charles Barr Swindoll, Inc. all rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited