Monday, June 15, 2009
Ephesians 1:18 . . . the eyes of your understanding being enlightened . . .
WITH EYES WIDE OPEN
The New International Version (NIV) is one of the very few English translations of the Bible that actually gets this verse wrong. The NIV translates: "I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened." As if Paul is praying that their eyes would be opened to see. In point of fact the New King James Version (NKJ) along with most other translations correctly translates this as a statement of fact upon which Paul is going to build three more requests. He does not say "I am praying that you may receive sight," but he says "since you have received sight."
After carefully describing our calling into the faith as the result of God's gracious plan of election, Paul recognizes that there is still a great battle that lies before us. He knows the forces that oppose us. He knows the weight of sin that crushes us. He knows the intensity of the opposition. And above all he knows what our fight looks like from an earthly perspective: wretched, pathetic, useless, stupid, foolish, humble--and if there is any other word to describe what is the lowliest of all earthly things--such are the chosen people of God in the eyes not only of the world, but often in our own eyes as well. Where is the brilliance and flash and excitement that we read about on Pentecost? Where is the strength that God has promised to me? Where are the miracles? Where is the honor and the glory and the power that we pray for and should belong to God’s kingdom? Why, if Christ is in me and His power is in His word, will no one listen?
Knowing how we feel and how we each are acting like Elisha's servant, scared and frightened by the forces of the world, Paul does not pray to God that our eyes should be opened, because he knows they already are. He knows that in the gift of the Holy Spirit that has been given to us in our baptism we already have eyes. Therefore he prays not that we would be able to see but that being able to see we would look and seeing might understand that which God has clearly portrayed before our eyes in His Word through the Holy Spirit.
