Do you see or do you sightsee?
Sightseer usually conjures up a vision of 'older' folks in mismatched shorts with horrid black socks and binoculars strung about their neck, unless that's you of course.
Placemark that view and now think of truth seekers, some who want know truth and some to merely consume it. There is a difference.
Unaware of a monumental loss of spiritual satisfaction the masses satiate themselves with collecting sayings, scriptures and thoughts chock full of life-changing truth and store it away shelved in Tweets, Posts and Shares(not a bad thing in itself). And, in our info-saturated society, the collected truth that felt so good to the eyes and ears got strangled on its way to the heart where it belonged.
Truth has a purpose, to change, to build, to divert us from error. It was never meant for sightseeing.
The vacationing sightseer spends his money and time to behold the sights, but usually never partakes, never actually lives in that wilderness or city with the local inhabitants. That is why so many economies have ended up built on tourism, so too many churches unknowingly rely on spiritual tourism. The best music and programs are searched out, and 'the tourist' ends up hopping away to the BEST church.
Instead of mere seeing alone we need to be knowing.
I once puzzled over the scripture, Matthew 13:13-but I guess that's how i came to finally understand.
Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.
Jesus spoke in parables so they wouldn't just listen to nice truth and feel better about themselves, but so their heart would digest it and it would explode deep in their soul. POW! "That's what 'that' meant," and leave an eternally changed being.
In John 12:20-26 some Greeks wanted to see Jesus, and the words they used were simple,
"Sir, we wish to see Jesus."
Not a big deal in our language but the Greek word chosen for see, ειδω eido, meant they wanted to know deeply. They had heard about Jesus, had come to worship and know the Messiah, and they wanted not just head knowedge and a handshake, they wanted to KNOW Jesus.
Jesus response explains it all, he didn't say, "Well come on in, how are ya'?" He said,
John 12:24-26
"Listen carefully:Unless a grain of wheat is buried in the ground, dead to the world, it is never any more than a grain of wheat. But if it is buried, it sprouts and reproduces itself many times over. In the same way, anyone who holds on to life just as it is destroys that life. But if you let it go, reckless in your love, you'll have it forever, real and eternal.
" If any of you wants to serve me, then follow me. Then you'll be where I am, ready to serve at a moment's notice. The Father will honor and reward anyone who serves me.
So, if you want to know the truth fully, you must give yourself to it, move into it, no more sightseeing. If you try to just know it, consume it and tweet it without living it, it will rot like Manna on the ground and literally make you sick and destroy your life. But if you give your whole life to it, it will take up residence in your soul and give you the real life you're craving for. Jesus used the word ZOE for that life which is the real life that everyone knows they want, but try myriads of ways to get ( spiritual consumerism).
Put down the binoculars and trade those ugly black socks and your office shoes in for some more appropriate and pleasing footwear. Walk off into the city of truth, live and love its people. Plant yourself in that wilderness of truth instead of observe and photograph. Pitch your tent and start your fire.
Then the life you truly want will flood your soul.
