Sermon: New Eyes
May 5th, 2019 Rev. Betsy Perkins
First Baptist Church, Delavan WI
Scripture passage: Matthew 28:16-20, 2 Corinthians 5:14-21
Have you ever seen one of those videos of a person putting on the special glasses so they can see colors for the first time? Or maybe one of those babies getting glasses and being able to see clearly for the first time? There’s a moment or two of amazement as they take it all the new sights and then such delight in the new world that appears before them – things they have never seen before, faces of loved ones. The person becomes overwhelmed with joy at being able to see things for what they truly are and a new world opens up.
The scripture passage I just read, doesn’t use the word baptism, but it actually teaches us something amazing about baptism in the action it represents of dying to self, and rising again to new life in Jesus Christ, and the implications of that. The passage begins by saying, Christ’s love moves us, urges us on (NLT); Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. (that’s a great description of baptism!) 15 [Jesus] died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them. (NLT) Eugene Peterson wrote it this way in the Message: One man died for everyone. That puts everyone in the same boat. He included everyone in his death so that everyone could also be included in his life, a resurrection life, a far better life than people ever lived on their own. (Msg)
As I continue to read from The Message, listen for the words that are about seeing, about recognizing, (the word ‘look’). He goes on: Because of this decision we don’t evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know. We certainly don’t look at him that way anymore. Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it!
This new life, this fresh start, this new creation self, that emerges from the waters of baptism, actually sees things differently. “Our vision has changed,” one pastor wrote about this passage. And that change is not a one-and-done change, but this ‘being created new’ verb is in the perfect tense in the original language, which means something happened to cause a change and that change keeps on going and going. It is a constant state of being renewed, made new every morning, every day, every hour. Like some kind of amazing corneal implant. The defective lens that sees dimly through the cataract of selfishness and worldliness, is removed and the new lens of Christ is put in so that we might be able to see the world the way God sees it.
First, the passage says, we see Jesus differently. We recognize Jesus as the Savior sent from God. We recognize Jesus’ deep love for us. We recognize that He continues to be present with us, but it takes new creation eyes to truly see. We can see God working in the world in ways we couldn’t see before. We see how God is exposing evil so it can be dealt with. Like when a doctor opens up a wound so the infection can be drained and cleaned up. God is exposing the stuff that hinders our relationship with God, so that things can be made right between us again. We see God calling people into reconciled relationships and new faith. We see ourselves differently – see how deeply beloved we are to God, see God’s longing to adopt us as His children, see how God is offering us a fresh start by offering forgiveness, not counting our mistakes against us. If life was golf, God is not counting our missed swings and poor shots against us, but is providing a mulligan. We see with new eyes the purpose God has for our lives.
Our new eyes can see others differently – see someone else’s struggles with new eyes of compassion; see the potential that God sees when God looks on that person. Verse 21 says, when we are in Christ, we become the righteousness of God. When we look around at one another (go ahead, do that!) we see with our new creation eyes, Christ in each other.
Let’s pray: Thank you, Lord God, for the gift of new eyes this day for Aubrey and Brianna. Thank you that through your Holy Spirit we all can see afresh each day. May we see anew the depths of your love for us. May we see anew the depths of your love for everyone, for the whole world. May we see with your eyes, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Closing Song: “Oh, How I Love Jesus” # 509
(video of “Baby Wears Glasses for the First Time”) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdISEYcegww
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