- Psalm 101
- Ezekiel 11:14-25
- Hebrews 7:1-17
- Luke 10:17-24
At first glance, these passages seem disconnected. We move from a king’s personal commitments, to exile and restoration, to a mysterious priest-king, to disciples returning from mission. Yet a common thread emerges when we ask:
What does God want us to see that we often miss?
Psalm 101: Seeing Character Before Success
The Psalmist repeatedly says, “I will.”
- I will sing of mercy and justice.
- I will walk with integrity.
- I will not set wicked things before my eyes.
- I will reject deceit.
The focus is not on what others are doing but on what the Psalmist chooses to see and become.
This is a prayer of perception.
The Psalmist understands that character is formed by what we focus on. Before he can govern others, he must govern himself. Before he can change the world, he must examine his own heart.
That is wisdom we desperately need today.
Ezekiel 11: Seeing Beyond Judgment
The people of Israel saw only disaster.
Jerusalem was falling.
The nation was collapsing.
Families were being scattered.
From a human perspective, everything appeared lost.
Yet God tells Ezekiel something astonishing:
“I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them.”
God saw restoration where the people saw ruin.
This passage is less about modern political Israel and more about God’s promise to restore a broken people spiritually. While many Christians connect Israel’s return to the land with modern events such as the founding of the State of Israel in 1948, Ezekiel’s primary concern is God’s covenant promise to renew hearts and restore relationship with God. The focus is transformation before geography.
God’s people needed new eyes before they needed a new homeland.
Hebrews 7: Seeing What Others Missed
Melchizedek appears briefly in Genesis and then disappears.
Most readers would overlook him.
Yet the writer of Hebrews sees something deeper.
Melchizedek becomes a lens through which we understand Christ. He represents a priesthood not based on ancestry, law, or human institutions but on God’s eternal purpose.
The writer is teaching his audience to read Scripture differently.
What seems insignificant may contain profound truth.
What appears hidden may reveal God’s larger story.
Faith often means learning to see beyond the obvious.
Luke 10: Seeing the Kingdom
The seventy disciples return excited.
They have witnessed miracles.
They have seen evil defeated.
They have experienced spiritual power.
Jesus celebrates with them but then redirects their attention:
“Do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
They saw power.
Jesus wanted them to see grace.
Then he says:
“Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.”
The blessing is not merely witnessing miracles.
The blessing is recognizing what those miracles mean.
Many people saw Jesus.
Few understood who he was.
Many witnessed signs.
Few perceived the Kingdom of God breaking into the world.
The Message for Today
We live in an age overflowing with information but often lacking wisdom.
We see headlines but miss humanity.
We see conflict but miss compassion.
We see failure but miss redemption.
We see differences but miss the image of God in one another.
These readings invite us to cultivate spiritual perception.
- The Psalmist teaches us to examine ourselves.
- Ezekiel teaches us to see hope where others see despair.
- Hebrews teaches us to discover deeper meaning beneath the surface.
- Jesus teaches us to recognize grace when it appears before us.
Perhaps the question these Scriptures ask us today is not:
“What are you looking at?”
but
“What are you truly seeing?”
A Curious Pilgrim Reflection
As I grow older, I am becoming convinced that the spiritual life is less about acquiring new information and more about learning to see differently.
The same world that appears filled with fear can also be seen as filled with opportunities for love.
The same life that appears broken can also be seen as a story still being redeemed.
The same people we are tempted to judge can be seen as fellow pilgrims carrying wounds we cannot see.
The disciples were blessed because they saw what God was doing in their midst.
The invitation remains the same for us.
To look beyond appearances.
To look beyond our fears.
To look beyond our assumptions.
And to ask God for eyes that can recognize mercy, justice, grace, and hope wherever they appear.
Prayer
Gracious God, give us eyes to see beyond the surface of things. Help us see hope where there is despair, grace where there is failure, and Your image in every person we meet. Renew our hearts as You promised through Ezekiel. Form our character as the Psalmist desired. Open our minds as You did for the writer of Hebrews. And grant us the blessed vision of the disciples who recognized Your Kingdom in their midst. Through Christ our eternal High Priest, Amen.
The Curious Pilgrim 
Leave a comment