Eyes that see

Then turning to the disciples he said privately, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it."
Luke 10:23-24

Sometimes I’m jealous of those disciples.

 I want to see what they saw.

I want to see a crippled man throw down his cane and delight in taking steps again. I want to watch Jesus’ eyes as he moves through a crowd, looking to see who he can touch and heal. I want to stare into the face of Lazarus as he comes back from the other side at the sound of Jesus’ voice.

Those eyes who saw these things
were blessed.

But my eyes are blessed, too. I’ve also seen things.

Even though I can’t see what they saw, I can see the big picture that they couldn’t see. I can put all their stories together and see a grandiose mural that’s too big to have a starting or ending point. I can see Jesus, on this side of the cross, and the multitude of ways he’s worked in the millennia since then.  

And even though I haven’t seen Jesus in the flesh, I still believe I’ve seen him. And he’s seen me. And because I believe, I’m blessed.

Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
John 20:29