Open, O Lord, the Young Man’s Eyes That He May See

Main Idea

This lecture revolves around the meaning of spiritual vision, the difference between it and physical sight, and how a believer is called to see by faith what cannot be seen by the naked eye, asking God to open the inner eyes to perceive His work, presence, and power in life.

Spiritual and Educational Dimension

His Holiness Pope Shenouda III explains that the story of Elisha the prophet and his servant reveals that fear comes from relying only on material sight, while peace flows from spiritual vision. When God opened the servant’s eyes, he saw God’s armies surrounding them and realized that “those who are with us are more than those who are against us.”

Types of Vision

He clarifies that there are:

• Physical, bodily vision
• Intellectual, enlightened vision
• Deep spiritual vision
  The perfection of faith is to see by faith what is not seen by physical sight.

Biblical Examples

Many examples are given, such as:

• David the prophet who saw the Lord before him at all times by faith
• Moses who saw the Lord’s salvation before the sea was parted
• Simeon the Elder who beheld salvation while holding the Child Jesus
• The Apostle Paul whose eyes were opened after baptism

Enlightenment and Divine Revelation

Spiritual vision is a divine act of revelation, a lifting of the veil, where God opens the mind and heart to understand Scripture, grasp the depth of the commandments, and see the hand of God working in events.

Obstacles to Spiritual Insight

Among the greatest obstacles to spiritual vision are:

• Sin
• Judging others
• Pride
  These blind the inner eye and prevent a person from clearly seeing God’s work.

Conclusion

The true prayer is:
“Open, O Lord, the young man’s eyes that he may see.”
That God may grant us spiritual insight to see His presence, His providence, His grace, and His power at work in our lives, so that we may live in peace and trust regardless of circumstances.

For better translation support, please contact the center.

الإيمان – Faith
البصيرة الروحية – Spiritual Insight