See Yourself Through His Eyes

This 25 days of "Light the World" at lds.org is so wonderfully incredible. I got excited about it subbing in Primary last Sunday. And wow! It's incredible! I check out the short videos each day, and today I finally cheated and peaked ahead for tomorrow. But today is special.

I thought about donating glasses but my old ones are so foggy now. I wonder with all this light what He wants us to see. But the video was incredible. It's a special story about Jesus healing the eyes of a man born blind (John 9). So I decided to do this one a little different. It's my gift to you today, and my little act of service. Actually, it's not me at all.

You know the story. "Jesus passed by, (and) saw a man which was blind from his birth." How did He know? Was the man carrying a cardboard sign reading, "Caution: blind man in the way?" There could have been outward manifestations, but John doesn't tell us. John is so deep and subtle in his symbolism that often we don't even see it. I like to think Jesus "saw" this man from the inside out. He looked through his eyes and saw nothing, only darkness. By the way, next time you read the Gospel of John, look for the contrasts of light and darkness, like this one where Jesus "sees" but the blind man doesn't. Look for the setting and the time of day and what comes before and after. You might see something very interesting.

It comforts me to know that Jesus sees me from the inside out. He sees what is going on inside. And that's how He sees you.

Do you see the question the disciples ask? "Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?" When would this man have sinned? The parents had a head start. And what about His answer? Can bad things happen to good people?

Jesus then spat upon the ground and made clay of the spittle. Now I don't want to spoon feed you, like I'm often prone to do, but I have to share something special the Spirit showed me one day. No, this wasn't me, cause I remember what I felt when I read the Creation story: 

"But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.

"And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul" (Genesis 2: 6-7).

Jesus had done this before. He had made Man from the mud. Really, He's re-creating the man, so he can become a "new creature." He has had a lot of practice doing this. Is that what He is doing for you?

Then it says He "anointed" the eyes of the blind man with the clay. Ponder on this. Why doesn't it say He rubbed, or smeared, mud on the man's eyes? And why does the Anointed One perform an anointing on him? What does He want him to become?

Then He tells him to go "wash" in the Pool of Siloam. He wants the man to wash the muddy and mundane out of his eyes. I love Sundays. Weekdays I go to work, and don't get me wrong, I love my job. It's a blessing from the Lord. But when I'm at work, I see people by their credit scores, and their debt-to-income ratios, and how much money they make. I have to because I'm a credit underwriter. But on Sunday and in some holy places, I see others differently. What does He want you to see?

If you have been "washed" or "anointed" consider yourself lucky (excuse me, I mean blessed). What does He want you to see? What does He want you to become? By the way, this pool was only a couple of hundred yards south of the temple. Can you see things in the temple you can't see anywhere else?

I like Saturdays too. Today is special. I got to go for a walk and listen to my music. I listen to my playlist alphabetically. It just happens that after I watched this video and pondered its message, that midway through my walk I encountered all the "love" songs with titles like "Love Can Make You Happy," and "Love Is All Around." I heard lyrics like, "There's no beginning, there'll be no end, upon my love you can depend." And, "It takes love over gold and mind over matter." Maybe that wasn't accidental at all. I walked by a humble manger scene while listening to the Beatles sing "Love Me Do," and I think He does.

While walking, I thought about the man at the pool. As his eyes are dripping wet, looking down into the pool, what do you think he saw first? And who else might he have seen reflected in the water? I thought about how right Paul was when he said, "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known" (1 Corinthians 13: 12). And what kind of glass is he talking about?

And what about the pool? An interesting name and an interesting translation. My daughter is also being sent away on a mission. Her example and willingness to serve up north in the bitter cold help me to see things a little differently. I can only hope the love of good people, and the warmth of the Holy Spirit can keep her warm there.

What other ordinances or events could happen at such a pool? And how is that pool like the emblems of the sacrament you will partake of tomorrow? I can think of at least three things.

I can't think of a better way to get into the Christmas spirit than these 25 daily suggestions from "Light the World." As you immerse yourself in His Spirit and His service, what new things will you see?