TEXT:
‘I will lift up my eyes to the hills – from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.’ (Psalm 121:1-2).
“Jesus lifted up His eyes”. Today’s Teaching focusses on six occasions when He did that, to discover what we can learn and then imitate. In Part 1, we considered Multiplication – when Jesus fed the 5000; Compassion – when He saw the multitudes as they really were; and Resurrection – when He demonstrated He had power over death.
Part 2 studies three more times when it is recorded, “Jesus lifted up His eyes”.
4. Intercession – ‘Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You’ (John 17:1)
A. Lift up your eyes when no one can help you
Lift up your eyes to the One who loves you, cares for you and can keep you. ‘Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy’ (Jude 1:24).
Jehoshaphat prayed, ‘For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You’ (2 Chronicles 20:12). Jehoshaphat discovered God’s eyes were indeed on them, just as He had previously promised, ‘For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him’ (2 Chronicles 16:9). The psalmist said, ‘My help comes from the Lord’, so that’s why he lifted up his eyes.
B. Lift up your eyes when no one will stand with you
The disciples fell asleep in the Garden of Gethsemane and then deserted Jesus when He was arrested, but He could still lift up His eyes to the One who had promised, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’ (Hebrews 13:5).
Paul complained, ‘At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me … but the Lord stood with me and strengthened me’ (2 Timothy 4:16-17).
Once, Saul of Tarsus stood with those who stoned Stephen and guarded their clothes (See Acts 7:58). Later, on his first missionary journey, Paul (formerly Saul) was stoned, dragged out of the city and left for dead (See Acts 14:19-20) but as the disciples gathered around him, God graciously raised him back to life. A poignant moment indeed which would not have been lost on Paul. Those he stood against and tried to destroy, were the very ones praying for him and standing with him. It’s amazing when God’s grace still comes to us, even when we have been fighting against Him.
Remember, whether God’s people stand with you or not, Jesus is the friend who sticks closer than a brother!
5. Salvation – ‘So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.”’ (Luke 19:4-5)
Zacchaeus thought no one would notice him up a tree, but Jesus, by the revelation of the Holy Spirit, knew where he was and who he was.
The curse of the modern smart phone is that everyone is looking at its tiny screen instead of at the faces of those around them. We saw in Part 1 how Jesus lifted up His eyes with compassion and saw the multitudes as they really were. Also, how the Samaritan saw the man who had been attacked when others passed on by.
It’s all too easy not to get involved, but when you truly lift up your eyes to see the fields are white unto harvest, you’ll want to get involved (See John 4:35). See how Jesus viewed His disciples. He said to Simon, ‘You are Simon … you shall be called Cephas (which is translated, a stone)’ (John 1:42). He amazed Nathaniel by saying, ‘Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit’ (John 1:47).
Jesus saw beyond the outward and we can too if we listen to the Holy Spirit. Who knows what lives we can help transform in 2024, when we lift up our eyes?
6. Contribution – ‘Just then he looked up and saw the rich people dropping offerings in the collection plate. Then he saw a poor widow put in two pennies’ (Luke 21:1-2 MSG)
Would we be happy for a physical Jesus to see us put our offering in the church collection each Sunday? Would He commend our generosity like He did this widow?
The One who gave His all has the right to look at what we give. Would we feel embarrassed and ashamed that we spend so much on ourselves and so little on our church, its ministry and reaching out into the world with the gospel?
The Bible says, ‘If anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever’ (1 Timothy 5:8). This is not just true for how we provide for our families, but also how we treat our church, pastors and leaders.
This is an important truth. When we are willing to increase our giving heavenward, God will increase His response downward. When I pray, I want there to be an open heaven. When I give, I want the windows in heaven to be open also. True Christianity is not giving a bit extra at Christmas but giving biblically and consistently throughout the year.
Lift up your eyes in 2024. Who knows what the effect will be both on yourself and others!
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