bionic Jesus vision

I used to love to watch the bionic man. Admit it, if you were of TV age back in the 70's you did too. The action figure was sweet; fake skin you could roll up, removable bionic pieces in his arms and legs, and the killer hole in the back of his head that let you have bionic vision. I was just on eBay this morning...perhaps...

The truth is if we are to see what God desires us to see we need more than bionic vision. We need to be made faster, better, stronger. 

We are all born near sighted without the ability to see the big picture. The Adam and Eve saw pleasure instead of God's love, Noah's neighbors saw evil instead of good, Joseph's brothers saw themselves instead of God. All these folks needed new eyes.

After their father died his brothers feared that Joseph would give them what they deserved (see Genesis 50:15-26). They had been blessed by his brother and he had even told them that what they did was in actuality God's plan to save an entire nation.

They couldn't see past themselves so they lied.

"...your father gave us this instruction before he died, 

'say to Joseph: I beg you, forgive the crime of your brothers and the wrong

they did in harming you." 

"Now, therefore please forgive the crime of the servants of the God of your father"

 [and they wept and fell down and said]

"we are here as your slaves"

They got bionic vision and you can too. Here's how.

Even though they approached God (indirectly through Joseph) they;

1) begged, which is an act of submission. It means to plead your case. It is essential when you plead to admit you were wrong. 

2) ask for forgiveness

3) admit you broke the law (the crime of your brothers)

4) admit you harmed the person and caused damage

This is the classic model of forgiveness in 12 step programs. Once these are carried out you are till called to make reparations to the person you wronged. 

In our case with God, this is impossible. We cannot atone for our sins. Jesus did that for us. Our only appropriate response is to offer our lives to his service. 

When we follow these steps we are given bionic vision.

"But you have God-blessed eyes—eyes that see! And God-blessed ears—ears that hear! A lot of people, prophets and humble believers among them, would have given anything to see what you are seeing, to hear what you are hearing, but never had the chance"

Matthew 13:16-17 (The Message)