Things that hinder vision by Gary Rose

Remember the last time you had your eyes examined? The eye-doctor changed the prescription through the examination machine and the letters became more or less blurry. Eventually, he would arrive at a setting that would enable you to see the letters clearly and bingo, your new prescription was determined.

Today, I saw the top left picture on Facebook. I could read it, but with great difficulty. If you can’t, don’t worry about it, because it was meant to be difficult. I made copies and began adjusting them, first with brightness (top right) and then with color adjustments (bottom left and then right). To me, the color adjustments are slightly better, but not much. I wonder, what if this were the case in the real world. Would I be classified as blind or perhaps vision impaired? What if the problem was not really an eye problem at all? Suppose the words were those that I really did NOT WANT to read because I just didn’t want to listen to their message? The prophet Isaiah says...

Isaiah 29 ( World English Bible )

  ¹ Woe to Ariel! Ariel, the city where David encamped! Add year to year; let the feasts come around;  ² then I will distress Ariel, and there will be mourning and lamentation. She shall be to me as an altar hearth. ³ I will encamp against you all around you, and will lay siege against you with posted troops. I will raise siege works against you. ⁴ You will be brought down, and will speak out of the ground. Your speech will mumble out of the dust. Your voice will be as of one who has a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and your speech will whisper out of the dust.
  ⁵ But the multitude of your foes will be like fine dust, and the multitude of the ruthless ones like chaff that blows away. Yes, it will be in an instant, suddenly.  ⁶ She will be visited by Yahweh of Armies with thunder, with earthquake, with great noise, with whirlwind and storm, and with the flame of a devouring fire.  ⁷ The multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, even all who fight against her and her stronghold, and who distress her, will be like a dream, a vision of the night.  ⁸ It will be like when a hungry man dreams, and behold, he eats; but he awakes, and his hunger isn’t satisfied; or like when a thirsty man dreams, and behold, he drinks; but he awakes, and behold, he is faint, and he is still thirsty. The multitude of all the nations that fight against Mount Zion will be like that.
  ⁹Pause and wonder! Blind yourselves and be blind! They are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.  ¹⁰ For Yahweh has poured out on you a spirit of deep sleep, and has closed your eyes, the prophets; and he has covered your heads, the seers.  ¹¹ All vision has become to you like the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one who is educated, saying, “Read this, please;” and he says, “I can’t, for it is sealed;”  ¹² and the book is delivered to one who is not educated, saying, “Read this, please;” and he says, “I can’t read.”
  ¹³ The Lord said, “Because this people draws near with their mouth and honors me with their lips, but they have removed their heart far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment of men which has been taught;  ¹⁴ therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men will perish, and the understanding of their prudent men will be hidden.” 

At this point, someone might say: “well, that was then and this is now, so it really doesn’t apply.” OK, lets turn to the New Testament and listen to Jesus.

Matthew 15 (WEB)

¹ Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem, saying,  ² “Why do your disciples disobey the tradition of the elders? For they don’t wash their hands when they eat bread.”
  ³ He answered them, “Why do you also disobey the commandment of God because of your tradition?   ⁴  For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’  and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death.’   ⁵  But you say, ‘Whoever may tell his father or his mother, “Whatever help you might otherwise have gotten from me is a gift devoted to God,”   ⁶  he shall not honor his father or mother.’ You have made the commandment of God void because of your tradition.   ⁷  You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying,
  ⁸ ‘These people draw near to me with their mouth,
and honor me with their lips;
but their heart is far from me.

  ⁹ And they worship me in vain,
teaching as doctrine rules made by men.’”

Traditions are something that blinded the Jews from seeing the truth of the Scriptures and Jesus counters that with a quotation from the prophet Isaiah. Other things can blind one from the truth as well: Like what some learned Bible teacher may say, or what your parents always believed or something a close friend chose to do. Even more simple- “ I don’t care what the Bible says, I just want to do this”. Think this can only apply to others? Well, how often have you read one of the following passages to someone and heard them say:Baptism does not save you!

Mark 16 (WEB)

 ¹⁵ He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to the whole creation.   ¹⁶  He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who disbelieves will be condemned. 

OR

1 Peter 3 (WEB)

 ²⁰ who before were disobedient when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ship was being built. In it, few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.  ²¹ This is a symbol of baptism, which now saves you—not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

See the problem: its Isaiah 29 all over again. If someone has closed their mind, they have closed their mind, period.

P.S. The graphic at the top reads as follows...

ONLY ONE THIRD

IS ABLE TO READ

THESE LETTERS

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