Paul’s Uplifted Eyes
This is the third, and final, article dealing with uplifted eyes. The apostles had “eye-dropsy” and could not see the souls of the Samaritans. Even after they saw their souls, it was years before they could see the souls of the Gentiles. Ananias could not see Paul’s soul and feared going to him. We must never become like them. Write Jesus’ words on your soul just like He was talking to you: “Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest” (John 4:35). In this article, we turn our attention to see Paul’s uplifted eyes.
There are many illustrations of Paul seeing the lost around him and how he approached them to lead them to Jesus. Keep in mind that Jesus, in dealing with the lost, brought individuals to God, but only one step at a time. This is also what Paul did, and we would be wise to have this kind of wisdom as we teach others.
Consider Paul and the teaching he did in Athens. Shortly after he arrived in this Greek city, “His spirit was provoked within him when he saw the city was given over to idols” (Acts 17:16). As he looked at the fields, he saw people who were religiously lost and needed the gospel. This caused him to enter the synagogue of the Jews and every day he was also in the marketplace to teach the lost. He saw white fields.
Look at the wisdom he then used when given an opportunity to speak at Mars Hill. He understood where they were and began to bring them one step closer to God. He could have mocked their worship of gods made of stone, but He did not. Luke records his words: “As I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship I found an altar with this inscription: To the Unknown God.” He even quoted from one of their Greek poets whose words so fittingly described the true God (Acts 17:28). This opened the first door to tell them of the coming judgment by the One God raised from the dead.
He later went to Corinth to establish the church. How did he find the lost? He found his first converts in Aquila and Priscilla at his workplace. He did not just see tentmakers. He saw souls. He later went to the house of a man whose house was beside the synagogue and somehow this led to the conversion of the leader of that religious body. He saw souls.
Was he always successful in baptizing others? Of course not, but he kept seeing souls. Let me appeal to everyone reading these words. There is a spreading infestation of “eye dropsy” in congregations in our land. Write the words of Jesus on your heart, mediate on them. “Lift up your eyes unto the fields.” When others fail to do this, do not be like them. God help each of us to treat our “eye infection.”