In the first reading, we read that as the members of the Sanhedrin ‘looked’ at the face of Stephen, his face “looked like that of an angel.” The members of the Sanhedrin looked at a saint and saw him as a sinner. They saw the face of an angel, yet, they stone him.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells the crowd: “You are not looking for me because you have seen signs but because you have eaten your fill of the loaves.” Unfortunately, the crowd is not “looking” for Jesus because of his works and preaching, rather they were looking for Jesus before of the food he provides. They are looking for him through their stomach.
What do you see when you look? Why do you “look”?
In the Scriptures, there are some who look but do not see (Matthew 13:13). This kind of looking is quite different from the two ways of looking mentioned above.
The phrase “look but do not see” describes a situation where people are physically present and witnessing events but are spiritually unable to understand their true significance. This inability is often attributed to a hardened heart or a lack of spiritual discernment.
The phrase highlights the concept of spiritual blindness, where people are not able to perceive the truth, even when it is right in front of them. This blindness is not a physical inability to see, but a spiritual inability to understand. The phrase also implies a hardness of heart, which is the unwillingness to receive the truth and make a spiritual change.
When we look, we look outward in many different ways. We look with wide interest or with narrow bias. We look with a large heart open to goodness everywhere or with a narrow focus limited to strictly personal concerns. We look with a faith that accepts even miracles or with pessimism that sees only the worst.
We are encouraged to look with the eyes of God. By looking with the eyes of God we see the world, ourselves, and others through God’s perspective, valuing their unique worth and seeing them as God does. This involves understanding God’s love, His plan for your life, and the importance of your unique role in the world.
Jesus looked at the human condition with the eyes of love and tried to teach us how to look at ourselves and others “from above” and not “from below,” where dark clouds obscure our vision. “I come from above,” Jesus told his disciples, “and I want you to be reborn from above so that you will be able to see with new eyes” (John 3:3).
As the Cardinals electors enter in the Conclave this week, Wednesday, May 7, may they “look” from above and not from “below.”
Have a wonderful Week
