First Friday of Advent
5 December 2025
When God Opens Our Eyes
So far this week,
Isaiah has shown us a God who brings new life…
a God who gathers and heals…
a God who wipes away tears
and prepares a feast for His people.
Today, Isaiah takes us another step deeper into the mystery of Advent.
He speaks of eyes being opened,
ears being cleared,
and hearts learning wisdom.
He says:
“The eyes of the blind shall see.
The lowly shall rejoice in the Lord.”
This is not just about physical sight.
It’s about the inner vision that allows us to see
God’s presence,
God’s truth,
and God’s purpose for our lives.
Advent is the season when God wants to open our eyes —
to see Him more clearly,
to see ourselves more honestly,
and to see others more compassionately.
Isaiah is talking to a people who had lost sight of God.
Not because they didn’t believe —
but because their vision had been clouded by fear, exile, habits, distractions, and spiritual weariness.
Sound familiar?
There are days we can feel spiritually nearsighted:
- focused on problems more than God’s presence,
- seeing what scares us more than what strengthens us,
- noticing what’s wrong more than what God is making new.
“The darkness will not have the last word.”
God Himself will restore our sight.
And Advent is the time when that begins.
Two blind men follow Jesus, crying out,
“Son of David, have mercy on us!”
They cannot see Him,
but notice something important:
They already know who He is.
Their faith is already alive.
They already sense the truth.
Sometimes faith begins even before sight.
Jesus asks them a simple, piercing question:
“Do you believe that I can do this?”
He’s really asking:
“Do you trust Me?
Do you think I see you?
Do you think I can change your life?”
And they say yes.
Not a hesitant yes.
Not a “maybe.”
A clear, confident yes.
Jesus touches their eyes and says:
“Let it be done for you according to your faith.”
And their eyes were opened.
The Gospel shows us what Isaiah promised:
The Messiah brings sight.
The Messiah brings clarity.
The Messiah brings light into darkness.
What blinds us spiritually?
Not just sin,
although sin does blind.
But also fear, worry, shame, busyness, resentment, and distraction.
Sometimes we’re blinded by:
- old wounds we haven’t surrendered,
- habits we haven’t confronted,
- expectations that limit what we think God can do,
- or a lack of hope that anything can really change.
“Do you believe I can do this?”
Do you believe I can open your eyes?
Do you believe I can heal what is hurting?
Do you believe I can make you new?
Do you believe I can guide you?
Do you believe I can bring light into your darkness?
Faith isn’t pretending everything is fine.
Faith is allowing Jesus to touch the places where we cannot see clearly.
Where do you want the Lord to open your eyes?
- To see blessings you’ve overlooked?
- To see the people in your life with more compassion?
- To see opportunities to love and serve?
- To see a sin or habit you’ve been ignoring?
- To see God’s presence in a place you feel lost?
These are the Advent questions that help us move closer to Christ.
Because in Advent,
God is not only coming into the world,
He is coming into the parts of our life
that need His touch the most.
The blind men walked toward Jesus before they could see Him.
That’s Advent faith.
That’s Advent courage.
This Friday of Advent invites us to ask the Lord for the same gift:
Lord, open my eyes.
Help me see You more clearly.
Help me recognize Your presence.
Help me perceive what You are doing in my life.
Help me see others with Your compassion.
Help me see myself with Your mercy.
Come, Lord Jesus. Help us to see.