The Eyes Have It All

Recently I have been mulling over a very interesting discovery. No matter what color you think your eyes are, all eyes are in fact actually brown. Yes, no typos here; you read that correctly. It is scientifically true that there is only one type of pigment in the iris of the eye and that is - brown. No blue, no green, no gray, no violet, no hazel pigment – just brown. Every eye has melanin pigment in the iris and the amount of that pigment is what determines the eye color. It’s an interaction of light with the amount of melanin and the structure of the iris itself that gives the perceived eye color.

Eyes with more melanin appear brown as more light is absorbed. And blue and all other colored eyes reflect light back out as less light is absorbed, giving the iris the perceived color of blue, green, etc. This a result of refractory light. It’s the same reason that the sky appears to be blue. It’s a matter of light rays reflecting and refracting. A person’s eye color may vary slightly depending on the person’s mood, what color clothing they are wearing, the weather (cloudy vs. sunny), or source of light (natural light vs. indoor lighting).

The human eyes are at work every waking moment, effortlessly functioning to render eyesight. The human eye is a light-sensitive organ. It is the first component of the visual system. Vision has a specific sensory system, the visual system. The eyes work within the visual system allowing us to be conscious of light perception, differentiation of color, and a perception of depth or dimension. Visual perception is one of the senses, consisting of the ability to detect light and interpret (see) it as the perception known as eyesight. (www.boundless.com/biology)

“Of all the sensory receptors in the body, 70% are in the eyes. The photoreceptors sense and encode the patterns made by the light in our surroundings. The massive optic tracts containing over a million nerve fibers, carry the coded information from the eyes to the brain where the signals are then fashioned into images of the world around us.” The truth is, that without light, there would be no sight. The ability of humans to see is the result of the intricate and complicated interaction involving light, eyes, and brain. Eye color itself doesn't significantly affect how we see something, but some studies suggest that the color of someone's eyes may cause them to have different abilities of sight in various lighting conditions. (Human Anatomy and Physiology, E. Marieb)

Wow, I can’t help but be in wonder! Genesis 1:3-4,31 tells us that God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good. And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. What a marvelous creation this is, and how much greater is the Creator Himself than His creation!

In thinking about eyes, light, all the variables, and how our perception of color can change, I couldn’t help but think, in contrast to all this, of the Father of Lights in Whom there is no change; He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Christ never changes; there is no fading or shadow of turning. The truth we see in and through Christ never changes. The Lord is my light and my salvation. (Ps. 27:1) For with Thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light. (Ps. 36:9) The psalmist David is referring to the Word of the Lord who is his Light and that life is the light of men. (Jn. 1:4)

C.S. Lewis wrote in his book The Four Loves, “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else…. we cannot see light, though by light we see things.” And so, it is that the Son of God’s light is luminary in every sense. This light is that which is illustrious and resplendent. The dictionary defines the word illustrious as “that which is notably or brilliantly outstanding because of dignity or achievements or actions; standing above other in rank, importance, or achievements”. The word resplendent is defined as “that which has great beauty and is a pleasure to behold”. His light gives sight to our spiritual eyes. His light gives spiritual awakening, understanding, and an obtaining of the truths of God. Christ gives to us spiritual light at the time of our turning to Him. Our spiritual eyesight is because of Him. It is because of the God of light that we are able to spiritually discern light from darkness. Oh, that we would rejoice in the light of divine truth and in Him who is the Sun of righteousness and the Light of the world!

According to one online physics lesson (www.physicsclassroom.com) “none of us generate light in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum. We are not brilliant objects like the sun; rather, we are illuminated objects like the moon. We make our presence visibly known by reflecting light to the eyes of those who look our way. It is only by reflection that we, as well as most of the other objects in our physical world, can be seen.” Reflected light is essential to physical sight.

Christ is our Sun and we are like the moon. The book of Daniel tells us that the light dwelleth in Him (God). Any truth we possess is because it originated in Him and He has revealed Himself to us. 2 Corinthians 4:6, For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

In our unconverted state, we have no spiritual light (understanding). 2 Corinthians 3:18 says, But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. Matthew Henry said of this verse that when we are converted to Christ, our “blindness, the veil of ignorance, is taken away and we then have light; with clear vision, we are able to behold the glory of the Lord through the transforming work of the Gospel. We behold Christ, as in the glass of His Word; and as the reflection from a mirror causes the face to shine, the faces of Christians shine also.” Just as reflected light is essential to physical sight, so is the reflected light of Christ in our souls essential to spiritual sight.

The well-known hymn writer of old, Fanny Crosby (1820-1915), didn’t know much about the physical world around her through experiences revealed by light, but she did experience the illuminating, transforming power of the Light of the world in her soul.

Fanny was blinded within the first few months of her life but went on throughout her life to write over 8,000 hymns. About her blindness, Fanny said, "It seemed intended by the blessed providence of God that I should be blind all my life, and I thank him for the dispensation. If perfect earthly sight were offered me tomorrow I would not accept it. I might not have sung hymns to the praise of God if I had been distracted by the beautiful and interesting things about me." If I had a choice, I would still choose to remain blind...for when I die, the first face I will ever see will be the face of my blessed Saviour." I don’t know what color eyes Fanny had and although she couldn’t see light as we who have our vision can, Oh! - how she did see THE Light as evidenced by her writings and her own testimony. She often wrote of the ‘rivers of pleasure’ which she did see.

Perfect submission, perfect delight!

Visions of rapture now burst on my sight!

Angels descending bring from above, Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.

I in my Saviour am happy and blest – Watching and waiting, looking above,

Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.

Take the world, but give me Jesus, let me view His constant smile.

Then throughout my pilgrim journey Light will cheer me all the while.

In His cross my trust shall be, Till, with clearer, brighter vision,

Face to face my Lord I see.

O the height and depth of mercy! O the length and breadth of love!

O the fullness of redemption – Pledge of endless life above!

Just as Fanny proclaimed over 100 years ago, may we both today and for years to come, echo in song this wondrous chorus, “Redeemed and so happy in Jesus, no language my rapture can tell! I know that the light of His presence with me doth continually dwell.”

The book of Revelation in chapter 1 and verse 14 speaks of One whose eyes were as a flame of fire. In John Gill’s commentary on this verse he writes that these eyes may “design the omniscience of Christ, which reaches to all person, and things, and is very searching and penetrating, and discovers and brings to light things the most dark and obscure; and also Christ’s eyes of love upon his own people, which have both heat and light; Christ’s love never waxes cold, and, being shed abroad in the hearts of his people, warms theirs; and in the light of his gracious countenance do they see light; and his love, like flames of fire, melts their souls into a true and genuine repentance for sin: or else, rather his eyes of wrath and vengeance, as set upon his enemies, are here meant: which will be fierce and furious, bring swift and sudden destruction on them, before which there is no standing, and from which there is no fleeing.”

Will you, dear reader, in that final day, behold those eyes of love? Or will the eyes of wrath and vengeance await you? Are you now standing among the righteous and among those that walk before God in the light of the living (Ps. 56:13)? Are you able to see Christ and walk in His way? Is He a Light to your path? If we are His children, then we will have light and walk in the truth of His law and Word. He will give knowledge and understanding that we may learn of His righteousness, loving-kindness, and judgement. The Word of God says in the book of Matthew, Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Will you? Can you testify that “the light of His presence with me doth continually dwell”? May it be so for you as it was for the Ephesian church when the apostle Paul prayed That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling. (Eph. 1:17-18)

Let us walk in the light of the Lord. (Isaiah 2:5)