Proverbs 20:12. The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the Lord has made them both.
On first glance this proverb appears to be a bit basic. Yes, God made everything. We already know that. Of course, he made the ear and the eye. Tell me something I don’t already know.
But there is more to this proverb than meets the eye (pun intended). The wisdom is found in the words hearing and seeing.
The hearing ear is the obedient ear. And the seeing eye is the understanding eye. Now we can see the deeper truth here – The Lord alone makes us obedient and understanding. God alone makes us wise.
Any fool can hear and see, but only someone who has the wisdom of God, the wisdom of Christ, can fully understand the world around them. The godless simply can’t perceive things correctly. Problems. Suffering. Meaning. Death. Eternity. Hope. Love. Only with God’s help can we find answers to life’s biggest questions, and Christ is that answer.
Paul teaches us something similar in Ephesians 2:8-10.
Ephesians 2:8-10. 8For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Our salvation is never our own doing. God does it. God gives us ears to hear and eyes to see his salvation. By his grace alone we are his workmanship, created for the good works of Christ. None of our salvation, justification and sanctification, is accomplished by our doing. There is no moralism here – not of works. Therefore, there is no pride here – so that no one may boast.
Union with Christ reminds us of these two paradoxical truths: we can do nothing without Christ, and we can do everything that God asks of us with Christ. In Christ, we have his ears for obedience, and his eyes for understanding. This is what it means to be regenerated, made alive in the Spirit. To have the new heart fed by new ears and new eyes. Ears that hear and obey the word of Christ. Eyes that see and understand by faith the spiritual realities of God.
Christian, maybe you don’t know that you have the hearing ear and the seeing eye, but you do! By the Spirit of Christ, you understand the things of God. How? Because you have the mind of Christ.
1 Corinthians 2:14-16. 14The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 15The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. 16“For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
The ears of Christ + the eyes of Christ = the mind of Christ.
Now that’s wisdom.
You: How often do you consider the big questions of life?
You in Christ: How does your union with Christ offer understanding of those biggest of questions?
Christ in you: Is there an area of your life that you need to hear with Christ’s ears, or see with Christ’s eyes?
Pray: Father, only you can give the wisdom and understanding of the gospel by your grace. Keep my ears and eyes open to Jesus and his love every day. Amen.
To Live is Christ 