There’s a difference between seeing and looking.
Seeing begins with the eyes. Most of what we see is largely accidental. Something passes in front of us so that our eyes process the reflected light and send signals to our brain: A cat just ran across the street. The sun is reflecting on the water. That light bulb just burned out.
On the other hand, looking begins with the will. Looking is more intentional. What our eyes process is determined by where we choose to direct them, or what kind of thing we choose to focus them on: The book that we’re trying to finish for book club. The person that we’re in conversation with. Waldo.
Seeing just happens. Looking is a matter of desire.
In a rather strange story, God’s people, while wandering in the wilderness, are punished for unfaithfulness by poisonous snakes entering the camp. The remedy, if you were bitten, was to look at the bronze image of a snake lifted up on a pole. But you couldn’t just hope to see it, perchance. (Why risk your life like that?). No—you had to look at it. Intentionally. As an act of your will. Because you wanted to live.
If that’s not strange enough, this story was a foreshadowing of Jesus. (Jesus represented by a serpent? Anyone who says that God doesn’t have a sense of humor isn’t reading closely enough). Sin brings pain, suffering, and eventually death. The remedy is to look at Jesus. You can’t just hope to see him, perchance. (Again, why risk your life like that?) No—you have to look at him. Intentionally. As an act of your will. Because you want to live.
The Christian faith is little more than a constant looking at Jesus.
