Eyes of Fire

All of us do stupid, ill-judged and impetuous things.

Sometimes we get away with them, sometimes we don't. In certain cases, that moment of inattention, folly or impatience gets caught on camera and broadcast to millions of people all around the world:



I've had more accidents and even more close shaves in a car than I'd like to admit, so I'm willing to bet that the emotional well-being of the France Television Driver at the centre of this incident will be broken into tiny little bits, and that's before you start to consider the ruin incurred by any subsequent legal action.

Millions of enthusiastic viewers, thousands of media pundits and hundreds within the pro-cycling fraternity will all have their opinion on what should have been and what should now be as a result of this unfortunate turn of events. They will cast their eye and pass their judgements and driver-man will have to stand and face their glare.

Yet what this driver is going through - standing in the intense heat and light (so to speak) of the global media spotlight is a mere and faint echo of the true and greater spotlight we will all stand under at the end of our lives when we stand before Christ.

In the real world of the Bible (as opposed to the strange one we inhabit ;-), eyes are symbolic of passing judgement. Deep down, we know this because we use them constantly to inspect and to test things out (whether good or bad). When I'm trying to work out whether a pupil at school is guilty of the misdemeanor for which he stands accused, I need to see his body language as well as hear his statement before I can decide the course of action.

In Revelation 1, John meets the resurrected and glorified Christ and describes his eyes as two flames of fire (Rev 1:14). It's these two flames of fire that in an instant, pierce through all our moral pretense and layered self-deception to who we really are, and we fall down on our faces - dead.

It is these eyes of fire that will test the works of our lives, and see if they were like straw and wood, or like gold, silver and precious stones (1Cor.3:13).

It is these eyes that will bring judgement and say either: 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.' (Matt.25:34) or 'Depart from me, you [who are] cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.' (Matt.25:41)

Are you ready for the day when the physical eyes of the eternal, almighty Son of God will be fixed on you - probing you? If not, then click here and let the prayer of David become your own, for surely his mercy is VERY great! (2Sam.24:14)