Blessed Are The Eyes That See Series

“Blessed are the Eyes that See the Things Ye See”

Hosea 6.1-6; Galatians 3.15-22; St. Luke 10.23-37; Psalm 142

the Sermon preached at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church—U.A.C.

for the Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity

by the Rev. Frederick E. Davison, Pastor

September 14, 2003

X X X

Grace, Mercy, and Peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus the Lord. [Amen.]

The sermon for the Thirteenth Sunday after Holy Trinity speaks from appointed Gospel, the Gospel according to the Evangelist St. Luke, chapter 10th with particular focus on these words:

The Lord Jesus “turned him unto his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see: For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.”

Thus far our text. Please be seated…

In the Name of the Father and of the X Son and of the Holy Ghost. [Amen.]

“I cried unto the Lord with my voice… I poured out my complaint… When my spirit was overwhelmed… then Thou knewest my path… they laid a snare for me… but I looked and no one would know me…” So King David was by the Holy Ghost given to see forward from his cave in space and time to write His Psalm, His Story, Jesus’ Story. From this Old Testament prophet comes forth the prayer and plight of our dear Lord Jesus as He reveals His Own sin-full Way in the flesh of this trouble bedecked traveler in our Gospel.

He sings in the Psalm, “Thou knewest My path…” because His heavenly Priests looked upon Him and cast Him off. He cries out, “no man cared for My Soul…” And this Psalm like every other—first Christ’s, then, and *only* then, that of those faith-full *in* Him, reveals Secrets that no man can see. No man can know. No mind can grasp. To see such an Heavenly Vision is a gift, which God here calls “blessed” as indeed also are the “eyes that see…”; eyes by the will of work of God belong to you and to me.

Two thousand—give or take—some years ago, Jesus turned to His Disciples privately and tells them of how on days just like today, He tell them that by His All-Knowing Spirit He will reveal His Truth both *by* and *to* men just like them who were likewise unworthy. But being Elect, yes Chosen of God to grace, Chosen of God to *be* graced with such wonderful knowledge, Jesus reveals it to you who are baptized and believing. Foreseeing that day of salvation—which the Holy Ghost calls “Today!”—Jesus says, [in effect] “Blessed are you!” saying, “Blessed are the eyes that see the things ye see…”

Yes dear children of Christ—whether you have believed all your life, or just now, right now for the very first time, perhaps thinking nothing more than, “I really want to believe…”—dear Saints, God has chosen you by placing you in the hearing of this Gospel that ye *can* believe. And placing you to hear the Gospel, Jesus calls you “Blessed.” “Blessed are the eyes which see the things that [His Disciples] see…”

What is it that they are by the Word of Jesus being blessed to see? Here I suppose I risk arrogance to claim, I too, see. But this is what I am ordained by God to preach. What is it? Can I answer with a hymn? “Jesus, Jesus, only Jesus, Can my heartfelt longing still…” May He in very deed, bring us to the place, *that* place—that spiritual roadside, where lying stripped, beaten and left for dead—we find we have nothing *but* Him. And being brought there, we find we need nothing more.

Hosea can see it! He looks out and see what the Lord God does—sometimes doing a *strange thing* [His “alien work.”] And what’s that? St. Paul touches on it briefly in the Epistle. Elsewhere St. Paul calls the Law, “good.” But today we are told that the “Scripture hath concluded all under sin.” That’s exactly what Jesus is saying when He asks, “What is written in the law?”

And the “certain lawyer answered, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.” Jesus answered, “This do, and thou shalt live.” The “certain lawyer” knew exactly the same thing you and I know:

[We] have lived as if God did not matter and as if [we] mattered most.

[Our] Lord’s Name [we] have not honored as [we] should;

[Our] worship and prayers have faltered.

[We] have not let His love have its way with me, and so