Open the Eyes of My Heart

"And they said to one another, 'Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?'" - Luke 24:32 (NKJV)

Paul also prays for "revelation" (Ephesians 1:18), or what we might call spiritual sight. This is the ability to see when others are blinded. Second Corinthians 4:4 tells us that "the god of this world has blinded the minds of those who don't believe, lest the light of the glorious gospel should shine unto them." The devil's work is to blind people, to keep them in spiritual darkness. The Holy Spirit's work is to open eyes, helping people see both their lost condition without Christ and, once they become believers, who they are in Christ and what's available to them.

You can see this spiritual sight at work in Luke 24, when Jesus walked on the road to Emmaus with two disciples (they didn't recognize Jesus) who were discussing recent events. Jesus began quoting Old Testament Scriptures, showing them how these verses pointed to Jesus and what He accomplished. Jesus left them, and they finally realized Who was speaking to them. They said to one another, "Did not our hearts burn within us as He spoke?" (Luke 24:32). They were describing the experience of spiritual sight. They suddenly saw Truth that had been there all along.

Paul is praying for something similar to a heart burning... that is, that believers' spiritual eyes would be opened. We begin to see the glorious inheritance. We begin to see the hope of our calling. We begin to see all of the things that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit have done for us, not just awaiting us in heaven, but what we can experience right here, right now.

I was thinking of sculptors and painters who are so creative. They begin to describe something to you, and you say, "I don't see it." Then they craft, draw, or paint it, and you begin to see it. They saw it for days, weeks, or even months. How? Through the eyes of their understanding, the eyes of their soul, the eyes of their heart. They could see this art before it ever came to fruition. That's the way you and I need to see what God wants to do in our lives.

This passage calls us to see beyond the physical realm into spiritual reality. Just as electricity has always existed, but we only recently (compared to all of recorded history) learned to harness it, spiritual power has always been available to believers. The question is whether we have eyes to see it and wisdom to access it.

It's not really new truths that we need to unpack and understand. It's really a rediscovery of the old truths. There was once a great theologian who was asked, "What's the greatest thought you've ever had about God?" He replied, "Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so." Really, it wasn't a new thought. It was actually a rediscovery of the basic truths, yet so much meaning and power are embedded in those concepts.

The old hymn "Jesus Loves Me" contains theology that could occupy the greatest theological minds, yet remains simple enough for a child to understand. When we begin to see with the eyes of our hearts - when spiritual wisdom, spiritual sight, and experiential knowledge of God combine - we discover that the most basic truths contain the greatest power.

Paul Baloche captured this Pauline prayer (Ephesians 1:18-23) in the lyrics of his song "Open The Eyes of My Heart":

Open the eyes of my heart, Lord, open the eyes of my heart.
I want to see You, I want to see You.
To see You high and lifted up, shining in the light of Your glory.
Pour out Your power and love as we sing holy, holy, holy.

Reflection Question: When was the last time your heart "burned within you" as the Holy Spirit opened Scripture to show you something you'd never seen before?

Open the eyes of my heart, Lord. I want those Emmaus road moments when my heart burns as You open the Scriptures to me. Help me see spiritual realities in passages I've read many times before. Open the eyes of my understanding to see what You want to do in my life right here, right now. I want to see You high and lifted up. In Jesus' Name, amen.

Check out: "Seeing With the Eyes of the Heart" (Ephesians 1:15-19): https://www.joshfranklin.org/media/td3gnp7/6-seeing-with-the-eyes-of-the-heart-eph-1-15-19