By: Obed Pineda
Myopia is a medical condition where a person’s eyes are unable to focus on distant objects due to faulty vision. In layman’s terms, this is simply stating that the person is nearsighted. For those who have this defect in their vision, objects that are far, like a road sign for example, appear very blurry until they are close enough to read it clearly. Since their vision is impaired primordially with images at a distance, it is also said that the person is shortsighted. It is fascinating how succinctly and accurately this term encompasses this visual defect, but how it, too, describes a character flaw in a person. When “shortsighted” is used as an adjective, it points the spotlight on someone’s inability to see further ahead into the future; someone who lacks foresight. Those who have this character flaw often do not consider the consequences their decisions may have in the long term. Their mind’s eye is so focused on what is happening in the present, that frequently they miss how it will affect their future. Consequently, those who suffer from this shortcoming seldom prepare ahead and are blindsided when that future materializes. It should be noted that what is causing the shortsightedness is not a mental disability that incapacitates them, rather it is a personal choice firmly anchored by obstinacy. In other words, it is not that they cannot perceive what is to come, but voluntarily refuse to accept it. This is no different than a man who has never been properly trained to work on electricity, yet insists that he does not need to be trained since he can learn as he goes. Even though he may convince himself that he is right since he was successful in smaller projects, the moment he begins to work on one that does require an expert he is going to worsen the problem and get badly hurt. He who so does was shortsighted by wanting to prove that he is capable, but did not consider the dangerous possibility that if he missed an important detail a certified electrician would not, he risks his life and the lives of those living with him. Ergo, it is logical to say that those who took the time and made the effort to train and learn the trade correctly, had the foresight to understand how doing so would become very beneficial in time. The education and preparation they received validates the wisdom of their sacrifice to attain it, if they use that which they received. The truth of this statement is readily understood and accepted when it pertains to secular matters, but strangely mankind struggles to make the same application when it refers to matters that are spiritual in nature. Man’s lack of interest or effort of preparing for life after physical death, shows that an insurmountable amount of the world’s population suffers from spiritual myopia. Spiritual shortsightedness has been prevalent in every generation of human history. The apostle Peter assured his brethren that spiritual nearsightedness can be corrected by “giving all diligence” to the conditioning of the inward man (1st Peter 1:5-7, emphasis added). The apostle heralded, “if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins” (1st Peter 1:8-9, emphasis added). Undoubtedly, Peter spoke from experience because at one time his vision was hindered by his personal preferences. On more than one occasion Peter’s spiritual vision was blurry even within close proximity. After having confessed Jesus as the Son of God, Peter’s spiritual sight fell short when he tried to stand in the way of the Lord going to Jerusalem to “suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised on the third day” (Matthew 16:15-23, emphasis added). Even though the Savior revealed to them that He was going to resurrect on the third day, observe that Peter’s “eyes” remained fixed on His looming death. Jesus, in an effort to sharpen His disciples sight, six days later takes him (along with James and John) “up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became white as the light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him” (Matthew 17:1-3, emphasis added). Undeniably, the Lord Christ transfigured before His intimate circle of three to increase their faith and morale in His promise that He would surely return from the dead. Notice the image painted of Jesus by all three inspired synoptic amanuenses (Mark 9:2-4 and Luke 9:28-31) in comparison with the beloved apostle’s vision at the island of Patmos (Revelation 1:9-16). All four holy men describe the appearance of Jesus as One wrapped in a glorious, bright light. The key difference between John and the Synoptic scribes is that the Lord’s appearance to John was after He had resurrected from the dead, evidenced by the different time and location where he witnessed this vision. This is significant because it demonstrates that Jesus was allowing His chosen three to preview Him in his body of glory after conquering death and Hades, before He laid His life down at Calvary. His lesson is verified by Luke as he explains, “behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem” (Luke 9:30-31, emphasis added). Luke’s subtle, but crucial, detail that Moses and Elijah appeared in glory is an emphasis on the truth that their bodies were no longer upon this earth. Their conversation with the Lord about what His death was about to “accomplish at Jerusalem” was irrefutably for the benefit of Peter, James, and John. Therefore, His transfiguration from His physical body to a glorious one was to solidify the vitality of His trip to Jerusalem and to fortify their faith that He would resurrect on the third day. Yet, in spite of the magnificent way which the Redeemer correct His disciple’s short vision, Peter’s spiritual eyesight once again failed him. Instead of looking to the glorious future Christ was allowing him to see, Peter remained focused on the present and offered “‘let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah’ – not knowing what he said” (Luke 9:33, emphasis added). Peter was proposing for the Lord to remain, along with Moses and Elijah, on top of the mountain and reign as the long awaited Messiah from there. His thought was that with these two revered men at Jesus’ side, no one would dare deny that He was the legitimate heir to David’s throne. Peter’s mistake was that his gaze remained focused on the physical and was unable to perceive with clarity the spiritual. This resulted in Peter only seeing a tiny part of the whole scheme Christ was trying to show him. God mercifully corrected the eyes of Peter urging him to get out of his own line of sight, so that he could see Christ clearly (Luke 9:34-35). Incredibly, if many were to follow this simple prescription today, their spiritual myopia will be corrected as well. May we focus on Christ daily.