Monday, the Third Week of Lent – Amy

March 21, 2022 / 1 Comment

 

Open Eyes

The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good. – Proverbs 15:3

The Eye of Providence is a symbol that depicts an eye, often enclosed in a triangle [think trinity] and surrounded by rays of light or Glory, meant to represent divine providence, whereby the eye of God watches over humanity. (Wikipedia) The Eye of Providence is used throughout Christian art and architecture, as well as other religions, as I think most religions depict their god as all-seeing. It is pictured on the back of the $1 over an unfinished pyramid [more colonies to come for this country] with only 13 levels [think colonies]. And in this early example of Pontormo’s painting of “Supper at Emmaus” (1525).

 

According to The New Oxford Annotated Bible, Eye is mentioned in the Bible…

• Ge 3:7 Then the eye of both were opened,
• Ex 21:24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth
• Dt 29:4 or eye to see, or ears to hear.
• 2Ch16:9 Eye of the LORD range throughout the
• Ps 17:8 guard me as the apple of the eye
• Ps 121:1 I lift up my eye to the hills
• Pr 3:7 Do not be wise in your own eye
• Pr 22:12 The eye of the LORD keep watch over
• Isa 11:3 He shall not judge by what his eye see
• Jer 9:1 And my eye a fountain of tears
• Eze 1:18 Rims of all four were full of eyes all
• Da 10:6 Lighting, his eye like flaming torches
• Zec 4:10 These seven are the eyes of the LORD
• Mt 5:29 If your right eye causes you to sin
• Mt 5:38 An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth
• Mt 7:3 See the speck in your neighbor’s eye
• Mt 9:30 And their eyes were opened
• Mt 13:15 That they might not look with their eyes
• Mk 10:25 To go through the eye of an needle
• Lk 24:31 Their eyes were opened
• 1 Co 15:52 In the twinkling of an eye, at the last
• Eph 1:18 With the eye of your heart inlightened
• 1 Pe 3:12 Eyes of the LORD are on the righteous
• 1 Jn 2:16 of the flesh, the desire of the eye
• Rev 1:7 the clouds: every eye will see him
• Rev 1:14 his eyes were like a flame of fire
• Rev 4:6 Full of eyes in front and behind
• Rev 21:4 he will wipe every tear from their eyes

 

Clearly not a complete list, and not all verses are using “eye” in the same way, but certainly eyes are important. Proverbs is of course using eye as a metaphor for knowledge. I mean, does God even have eyes? My understanding of being made in God’s image has more to do with our ability to make choices than with God’s appearance. 

So we have established that God sees all and that includes seeing us and all our sins. “He knows if you’ve been bad or good.”[maybe that’s not Biblical, but you get the idea.]  And we have established that God loves us. John 3:16. My question for you is does God love us in spite of seeing us and knowing us completely? Or, Does God love us because God “sees” us? Probably YES. But, I think the question speaks to what LOVE is. LOVE “sees” us and “knows” us and just LOVES us anyway. God gives us grace and love and forgiveness, undeserved.

So I am reminded of the Collect for Purity. [The oldest known sources appear in Latin in the 10th century. Our version is Thomas Cranmer’s translation.]

Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

– Amy Nesbit, EFM Alumna

One response to “Monday, the Third Week of Lent – Amy”

  1. Andrew Austin says:
    April 11, 2022 at 3:43 pm

    Thank you Amy, I do believe that “made in his image” is just that, a mere reflection of God. We have the ability to show glimpses of God’s love and forgiveness, but we fall very short of all that is God.

    I also like the collect for purity as it really defines the “allness” of God and our desire to reflect God in any way we can.

    Thank you for your thoughts.