When We Lose Sight

THE REV. JERRY ROGERS
GUEST COLUMNIST

What I read on the doctor’s report made me tremble.

Retinal degeneration.

The report was matter of fact, to the point, and seemingly so very indifferent. There was no, “I’m sorry to inform you…” or “It is with heaviness of heart I must tell you…” it was simply cold hard facts.

For the patient, partial blindness was now a harsh impending reality.

When I continued reading the report, my mind could not help but find all of the bad things that could befall them in the future and wonder how they will ever cope with blindness should it occur. I am thankful for the advancements in medicine that enabled doctors to detect the problem. This early diagnosis will make it possible for doctors’ to begin immediate “treatment” that could slow down the disease process. But, for me, the thought of this person going blind was horrifying. The tragic thing about this disease is how it steals the vision. The victim begins to lose the central part of their vision first, which leaves them with only peripheral or side vision. They just can’t see what is directly in front of them. I wondered how I would even begin to cope with the loss of my own sight.

It was a sobering thought.

It would be easy to try and over spiritualize every thing that happens in my life. But there was just no denying that one of the thoughts that came to my mind was the story of the disciples, in the 14th chapter of Matthew. Jesus had just preformed the miracle of the feeding of the 5000 men, plus women and children, and he told his disciples to get into a ship and go ahead of him, to the other side of the sea, while he remained and sent away the multitude. As the disciples were aboard ship and sailing, a storm arose. During this storm Jesus came to the ship, walking on the water. The disciples at first thought it was a spirit and cried out in fear. But Jesus spoke to them, to calm and reassure them, yet Peter still did not believe even though he saw the Lord in front of him. Jesus was directly in front of Peter and though Peter saw him with his physical eyes, he didn’t see him with his spiritual eyes. Peter was so bold as to say that if it was indeed the Lord that the Lord should bid him to come to him on the water. Jesus did. As Peter climbed out of the ship and began his walk to the Lord, Peter began to see everything to the sides of him. He saw the waves and the lightning but yet he lost sight of what was directly in front of him, JESUS. Because of the loss of spiritual sight Peter began to sink into the sea. During his desperation Peter regained his spiritual sight and focus and was able to look upon the Lord and cry for help. Jesus reached out his hand to Peter and lifted him out of his desperation and they both boarded the ship. The storm calmed.

Life is very distracting. Sometimes it is difficult to make it from morning to night and maintain our sanity. I have heard it said, “Times, they are a changing.” Indeed they are. Society today is not as it was even ten years ago, and the society in ten more years will not be as it is now. However there is one constant that we can rely on. Scripture tells us in Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and today, and forever”.

As Peter did in his desperation, let’s look upon Jesus with our spiritual eyes and rely on Jesus to help us when we are in ours.

The Rev. Jerry L Rogers is the pastoral counseling minister of sure HOPE Christian Assembly in Middletown, Ohio.