S.SEKOU ABODUNRIN
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith Heb 12:2a
Hebrews 12 starts out with this phrase “Wherefore seeing also we are compassed …” then that second verse says “looking unto …” It is clear that the language is heavily visual. It really matters what it is that we are seeing. Seeing is everything. You recall that the phrase “looking unto Jesus” is really better rendered as “looking off unto Jesus”, this implies a deliberate and conscious effort on your part. It shows that except we train our senses, we often reason from the earthly perspective into heavenly things instead of using the heavenly perspective to judge the earthly. This type of looking that is here encouraged implies a steady, fixed, hardened gaze. In context, the writer of the book of Hebrews after 11 chapters of reasoning tells the Jew that he still stands in jeopardy, a peculiar form of jeopardy for while he embraces the spiritual emblems and relics of their religious history, God has moved on and brought out all fullness in his Son. The idea is that all those things merely served as signposts to the Son and they were only useful to the extent that they performed this function. There is a tendency to fail to see aright – seeing right would require some adjustment of their vision to look beyond all that surrounded them and look off unto Jesus. The very things they were looking at had become a hindrance, a weight, stopping them from pressing into the reality of seeing as Jesus sees.
The glory, majesty and compassion of the Lord Jesus are boundless yet it is obvious that we place a limit on all this by what we choose to see. From his exalted position his vision compasses everything. According to the revelation called the bible, we are raised and seated together with him – Together. Together. Mark that “together with him” if seated together with him, then we have, extended from him to us, his vision, his slant on things. The secret is that you gain nothing from seeing him exalted except you see this exaltation as mutual through identification. If I see differently than him it means I am not seeing from that togetherness that the word proclaims.
You see you lay aside the besetting limitations by looking – looking off unto Jesus. This implies that our vision binds us up in a vicious cycle of experiences and clearly defines the outer bounds of our expression. We tend to focus on the limitations, the challenges, and the travails instead of heeding this profound advice – to look off unto Jesus.
While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal 2cor 4:18
The passage in Corinthians teaches that vision affects everything especially you. That which I choose to keep in view will ultimately adjust everything into alignment. You recall the story of Elisha and his servant.
15 And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?
16 And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.
2 Kings 6:15,16
The servant of the prophet was himself a prophet-in-training. He definitely wouldn’t find the supernatural intimidating or uncomfortable. But notice that the two men in the same situation said things that were direct opposites – they each spoke from their estimation. One prophet said “Alas!” and the other said, “Fear not”. This servant was full of a different kind of vision, hence he was speaking from pressure and fear and unconsciously he was communicating this to himself and others also. The only difference was in what each was seeing. We know this to be the case judging from Elisha’s solution. Elisha prayed – open his eyes that he may see. In order words the servant’s eyes while open were open to a different set of realities, the type that transmits fear. He was seeing, but from the standpoint of Elisha his eyes were closed. Elisha wasn’t seeing what his young prophet was seeing. His prayer implies that Elisha wasn’t making things up or operating in denial, he was in league with God hence the vision of God was his to operate in and live by. There are things that God wants to open you up to. Often we think God is on the verge of creating our answers or the solution to the problem we are facing. It still means that we are empowering the circumstance.
Elisha’s prayer was not for more or less armies to be sent, but knowing and seeing the armies already present he knew that the servant had stunted or partial vision for he wasn’t seeing what was already provided in God. Even if more were sent he wouldnt see it, so he wouldnt acknowledge and receive them into operation. Some fellows would have prayed in such a way as to imply that the outcome depended on the opposition’s absence or presence. That form of praying betrays short sightedness in things of a heavenly order. If I do not see correctly, I will often not pray correctly. It wasn’t some higher anointing that bailed out Elisha, but a higher awareness. The singular most important thing was what the servant was seeing, and not what the armies on either side were doing. If the servant saw the Lord’s army, he will release their activity. If on the other hand he sees the army arrayed against him, he will experience the same. A lot was bound up in what he saw. There are armies out there, supplies out there that you are not acknowledging because your manner of looking forbids you from seeing beyond a point.
Often when we are pressed on all sides we want to talk about the pressures, describe the peculiarities of the situation, the things that are out there that are hemming us in, or so we think. We forget that the outcome is bound up in seeing. What are you seeing now? Whatever my language is full of is a reflection of that which I keep seeing. You will say what you see. In counseling people I have come to appreciate that there is a nagging peculiarity to all these “hard” cases – every one of them is concerned that you do not understand what situation that they are in! We should be compassionate definitely, but you need to realize that the way out has nothing to do with what situation you are in. situations will come and go and will change throughout your life, and many others will pass through whatever it is that you are passing through. The answer is in what you see. Elisha gives us a clue – our eyes need to open up under the influence of God to see as we should see.
You understand then that whether you are going to be responding with alas! Alas! Alas! or with “fear nots” doesn't depend on what is happening but what controls your vision. The Lord wants you to lend him your eyes so that he can fill it with his vision. Too often we appear to be “together” with the problem and not “together” with the Lord. We want to blame outcomes on the things others are doing but truth is the problem is not the situation you are up against nor is it the people or combination of people arrayed against you!
To tell the truth, the sheer size of the opposition is totally unimportant and irrelevant to the outcomes. The Syrian army didn’t change size or tactic. Elisha affected outcomes by what he saw. I guess the young prophet would have tried to study the enemy into fine detail not realizing that he was only studying because that was how far he was seeing. This is very much like folks who are convinced that they represent a special case so they envisage that the enemy tactic and every move should be studied. The answer is not in studying schemes, tactics, wiles or tricks but in seeing the Lord as my victory. It didn’t matter to Elisha what the enemy was thinking or had thought, nor did their plans for him matter to him any bit. He was conscious of his Lord. It is truly irrelevant what the enemy will do, has done, or is planning to do, what matters is "what am I seeing". Fundamentally, if you wanted to influence outcomes you need to locate what you are seeing – receive the vision of God and things come into conformity.
Looking is important, but more importantly what I see when I look is of primal importance.
People make money during inflation and deflation or any other type of economic situation, this means that the deflation, inflation or recession is just a description, people that are rightly adjusted will start “seeing” ways, for there is always a way, I only need to see it.The secret is in seeing.
..................... to be continued
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