The Meaning Of Your Gaze

Hebrews 12:1-3

We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. (Hebrews 12:2)

LATE MEDIEVAL AND RENAISSANCE ARTISTS often hinted at the themes of their paintings by strategically posing their subjects’ gazes. Following the eyes of the people in the scene, we can often tell a lot about the message the artist wanted to convey. Sometimes those gazes were directed at a holy object or an important symbol; sometimes they pointed to a background figure whose name or identity represented an unseen truth. Rarely were eyes randomly focused. The gazes mattered. They shaped the meaning of the scene.

Your gaze performs a similar function—not in determining how people interpret you, necessarily, but in how you define meaning in your life. Faith is all about our line of sight—whether we invest our lives in the visible world around us or in the deeper meanings of the unseen world. As with the dominant figures in a Renaissance painting, our gazes may go beyond the obvious subjects; we see the important messages of God’s Kingdom that are written into the scenes of our lives. The direction of our eyes determines what we will ultimately experience.

That’s really important to remember in our life of faith. The gospel does not tell us to focus on our sin, our problems, or our obstacles. It does not call us to figure everything out, lament our failures, live in regret, or stare at the hardships before us. It tells us to keep our eyes on Jesus. Though some pray with an eye on the mountains, faith focuses our attention on the God who can move them. We are never told to escape our past; we are told to grow into our future. There’s a tremendous difference. Being preoccupied with Jesus gives us a vision of what we are becoming. It empowers us. It fills us with truth.

Just like the meaning of a masterpiece, your life will always unfold in the direction of your gaze. Guard your vision carefully, and you will grow into it in time. You may even inspire the gazes of those around you.

{Jesus, my eyes are on you. You never told your disciples to figure it all out; you told them to watch and follow. May I grow into your image increasingly, thoroughly, beautifully. Amen.