What has 24 eyes and is strong enough to swim against the current?
This may sound like the beginning of a joke, but one of God’s creatures has both things, a box jellyfish. The description caught my eye when I read about it on Britannica.com[1]. Some of its eyes are pigment filled, allowing it to discern between light and dark, while others are called “true eyes” since they are like other animals, with a lens, cornea, iris, and retina.
The pigment-filled eyes, with the ability to discern light from dark, reminded me of Scripture about having eyes to see and ears to hear. Jesus said he entered the world to give judgment – to give sight to people who are blind and to show those who think they can see that they are blind (John 9:35-41, English Standard Version). Jesus often performed miracles to heal blind people. However, this passage talks about spiritual blindness and is not a coincidence as Jesus often used symbolism to make a point. Isaiah speaks of a light for the nations who will open the eyes of the blind and bring prisoners out of darkness, referring to Jesus (Is. 42:6-7).
Evildoers can be so blinded that their moral judgment is the exact opposite of God’s actual perspective (Is. 5:20). The Pharisees had it so backward that they accused Jesus of being a sorcerer who practiced magic by Satan’s power instead of a God performing miracles (Matt. 12:24; John 8:44; 2 Thes. 2:11). They could not discern the truth about Jesus being the light of the world (John 8:12) and instead chose to remain in darkness.
“True eyes” to see are a gift from God (Prov. 20:12). Jesus explained to His disciples why He spoke in parables – to blind those who have resisted God’s revelation and help those who believe in Him (Luke 8:9-15). It is incredible how one simple concept has a two-fold purpose that is so opposite. I once gave my ex (abuser) a devotional book called Jesus Calling by Sarah Young because this little book offered me great inspiration during my journey to learn more about Christ. I sincerely wanted him to know, too, and be changed. However, I heard through the grapevine that he said it was like Greek to him. I now relate it to the parables – he did not have eyes to see because he had rejected the truth – he chose darkness instead of light. He was spiritually blind.
The other part of this description talks about the jellyfish being strong enough to swim against the current. We must do that in today’s culture – our strength comes from God. As believers, we are called to put on the armor of God and stand firm against the schemes of the devil (Eph. 6:11). Paul exhorts the Corinthians to be on guard, stand firm in their faith, and be courageous and strong (I Cor. 16:13).
Romans 12:2, English Standard Version, says we are not to conform to this world but be transformed by the renewal of our minds. I thought The Message wording for this verse was interesting enough to share: “So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life – your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life – and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.” (Rom. 12:1-2, emphasis added).
God equips us to swim against the current.
Having more eyes doesn’t necessarily mean we will be able to see better, but accepting Jesus and allowing the Holy Spirit to guide our lives will help us discern the light from the dark and give us true spiritual eyes to see His truth and grow in spiritual maturity.
[1] K. Akre, “box jellyfish.” Encyclopedia Britannica, May 5, 2023. https://www.britannica.com/animal/box-jellyfish.
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