✠ Psalmody: Psalm 74:20a, 19b, 22a, 23a; 1; Psalm 74:20a, 19b, 22a; 89:50; Psalm 95:1-2; Psalm 31:14–15a; Wisdom 16:20
✠ Lection: Leviticus 19:9–18; Galatians 3:16–22; Luke 10:23–37
In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear saints in the Lord, blessed are the eyes which see the things you see, if you truly see them. Consider what Jesus is saying to His disciples, both then and now. There are many sets of eyes among us this morning, all functioning, all doing their duty as we look upon one another, upon our bulletins and hymnals, upon the holy things of God in His house. Indeed, many of our sets of eyes have seen lengthy days; some nine decades or more; some less than three months; and all the rest, a wide range of time in between with some still working better than others. Give thanks to God for your sight, for we know how fragile we are in this world and how easily such gifts may be ours no more by disease, accident, or acts of evil. As creatures of God made in His own image, we have been given sight and such is that about which our dear Savior speaks in Luke, chapter 10. And to understand His words best, let us consider the two types of sight that He has given to us: physical and spiritual.
Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see. Physically speaking, we see things off of which light reflects, enters into our eyes, and is interpreted by our brains by electrical impulses running along optical nerves. It’s a highly impressive, intricate, and creative part of the Almighty’s creation, the eye, making it to where we can behold the creation around us built so magnificently that we can day-by-day continue to admire by means these two little orbs set safely within the bone structure of our head and face. By them, we see the things we love. By them, we see the people we love. By them, we also see much evil, much pain, much suffering, much chaos, much rage, much sin, especially our own, if we truly see, for our eyes see everything that we do, even in secret. We are able to see both the beauty and value of those around us, while beholding the effects that sin, both theirs and ours, has on them and us. But blessed not are the eyes that see such evil, at least that is not the point that our Savior is making.
He speaks of eyes not confined to just physical sight of the things off of which light bounces, but to spiritual sight of the things beyond. The true richness of life lies in having, and regularly using, spiritual sight along with the physical. Doing so enables us to see beyond things like trees just being trees, but instead living pillars testifying to the glory of their Maker and ours. Is it that they are rooted here and reach up? Or are they rooted above and connect heaven to the earth? They stand tall, longing for the mercy of the Creator, for it is by the word of His power that all things are upheld in heaven and on earth. Let us love our trees, considering it was one of them upon which our dear Savior died, reconciling heaven and earth, becoming Himself the Tree of Life for us, saving a world undone.
Yet, even more significant than the trees beheld with the eye is what God made last on the sixth day of creation, having finished all else before forming man from the dust, so that when Adam opened his physical eyes for the first time, he could not but help to glorify the One Who breathed into Him the breath of life God also gave him spiritual eyes, by which Adam saw that only an almighty, all-knowing, loving God could do such very good things. But by that same man’s original sin, his sight, along with that of all people since, has been dimmed, yea, even blinded. We all need our great God and Savior to speak to us, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened,” so that by His mighty word we may behold Him and His creation with both physical and spiritual sight.
Consider as a kind example our visiting family. The summer of 2025 has brought much to all these sets of eyes. As the warm days full of sun came upon us, they both beheld what was expected to be the final days of nearly 97 years of life in dear Miss Lois, who herself saw that she was to be a great-grandmother another time over as Juli neared her due date. In accordance with God’s will, both delayed somewhat, we saw; Maddie her arrival and Lois her departure. Then, we saw the end of summer approaching with Baptism planned for the fresh gift whom God gave to the Yoney home, and just a week ago today, we saw that 96 years and 363 days old body cease to make it to another birthday. All see these things, such things, with physical eyes. On Tuesday, we shall see the grave where Lois is laid to rest. This morning, we see the little life cradled in loving arms, but blessed are the eyes that see what you see when you see more.
Precious in the sight of the LORD Is the death of his saints. God sees all things and, by faith, bestows spiritual sight upon us to His glory. When we see physical death, especially up close and personal in those moments when soul and body are separated, when heart, lungs, and brain stop, and life in this world is ended, there are many things that we are not able to see, such as exactly when the soul leaves the body; such as the heavenly angels ministering to the dying all at God’s command. It is by spiritual sight then that, though physical eyes cannot, we still see that for those who die in faith in Christ, the soul absent from the body is present with the Lord. We sing this saying Lord, let at last Thine angels come, To Abr’ham’s bosom bear me home, that I may die unfearing recalling our dear Lord’s words about the poor but faithful beggar Lazarus dying and being ushered to heaven. It is with spiritual sight that we take comfort that though final breaths in this life do come, they are but temporary because of the sure hope of the resurrection to come in Christ Jesus our Lord. Alleluia, Christ is risen. He is risen indeed, alleluia. Lois’ baptism, however many years ago, testifies to this, because in it she was, as are all who are baptized into Christ, buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection. Spiritual eyes see beyond the grave to all the promises of eternal life found in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Likewise, before us are plain earthly elements: marble, water, newborn life in the flesh. With physical eyes that lack faith, that is all that is seen this morning; that is all that is believed; that is the extent even the witnessing a miracle reaches; material, empirical evidence that fallen eyes can measure by fallen reason. Yet, blessed are the eyes which see the things you see, if you see them; if you believe them, for what you see this morning is not just plain water, but it is the water included in God’s command and combined with His word in which He says Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, make learners of Christ, followers of Jesus, make them heirs of life eternal, possessors of His righteousness robed upon them by baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that [Christ has] commanded…; and lo, [He is] with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. More than a man holding a baby and pouring water upon her little head was the miracle of God seen, by His Word and Spirit, in the washing of Maddie with new birth from above. It is His institution, His Word, His doing, His gift, which are all points given so that we, especially the baptized, may have confidence and comfort in Him whether we’re three months into taking breaths or nearing our very last.
Therefore, let us also be warned by the Holy Scriptures, for it says that Jesus turned to His disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see.” Christ turns away from each soul that does not wish to hear Him as He did from the Pharisees. He turns away from each soul that does not wish to see with spiritual sight the everlasting life found only in Him. He says Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. Let us not deny our dear Lord’s voice, but see and believe that He is the One Who purely and entirely cares for the souls of all peoples. That He is the One this evil world sees as an unlikely or even loathsome rescuer, as was how the Jews would’ve seen all the Samaritans in His day. Yet, it is Christ Who is our Good Samaritan, coming humbly to us in rescue at His expense even when we lie dead in sin and trespasses on the road that leads down to our destruction. He, of His own doing now proclaimed and delivered unto us through His Word, through His Baptism, through His Supper, brings us up to His holy inn, the Church, tended to with the oil of His Spirit and the wine of His precious blood so that we are strengthened and prepared for His coming again. He bestows physical sight so that we may see the reality in which we dwell. He bestows spiritual sight to see beyond the physical into truths that cannot be shaken, because they are rooted in Him. Give thanks that He has not passed by us on the other side of the road of this short life in which we lie dead without His aid, but that He does come to us. He comes to aid us in Holy Baptism with a washing of regeneration and renewal, so that having been justified by His grace we might become heirs of eternal life; eternal life that we see with spiritual sight, not ending at death’s dark portal, but continuing on from there, just as our Deliverer promises. So, dear saints of God, rejoice this day for Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see, for you see the working of Christ in death and you most certainly see it in life everlasting graciously poured out upon us.
In ✠ Jesus’ Name. Amen.
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