"Speak that I may see thee"

It was Socrates, the ancient Greek philosopher, who condensed the field of personal communications into 6 words, “Speak, that I may see thee.” Since he wasn’t talking about seeing people with his eyes, we understand the word in the sense of knowing. When we say, “O, now I see” we mean that we understand.
       Now why did I bring that up? It has to do with an occasion early in the ministry of Jesus. He was talking with his disciples about two spheres, that is, the heavenly and this tangible old earth where mankind lives. As you would expect, the vocabulary and thought patterns of “earth people” reflect the world in which they live. Jesus says, “The one who belongs to the earth speaks only of things of the earth” (John 3:31: p. 34 in Jesus, In His Own Words). By way of contrast, “He who comes from heaven” testifies to what he has “actually seen and heard” (v. 32) of that sphere. So, if you wish to learn about the spiritual realm, then listen to the one who was always there – except for that brief moment in time when he became one of us so we could be with him up there forever. It makes sense that, while we are qualified to talk about our world, only Jesus can speak with authority about his world, the spiritual world.
       Jesus didn’t come to tell us about heaven, but by adopting the limited scope of human communication, to lead us existentially to experience ultimate truth. He bridged the gap between two “worlds” and made it possible for us to consider the truth of his “native land,” heaven. The spiritual issues he shared were not “spiritual” in the popular sense of being emotionally uplifting, but spiritual in the sense of actually expressing the spiritual in “earthly“ words so we could learn the life in that other “world” – a spiritual existence.
        Although Jesus puts it in simple words, the heart has to be open to this new possibility before anything happens. Jesus says, “Everyone who puts his faith in me, the Son, has eternal life” (John 3:36). Every literate person can understand what the sentence is saying, but only the heart touched by the Spirit and responding in faith can experience the supernatural experience that is taking place just then in the heart of the one exercising faith.
       “Speak that I may see thee” . . . Right, Socrates, you and I can actually reveal to one another who we are, even deep down. Good advice for life here on earth. Now contrast another possible relationship. Jesus says, “Believe in me and something remarkable will happen. You and I will be able to talk together as friends.  You’ll begin to experience a totally different kind of life, a spiritual life. Then when you finish what you call a lifetime, we’ll enjoy heaven together forever. As a person there on earth it doesn’t quite make sense to you, but the Spirit will take over and your eyes will be opened to a brand new kind of life, the spiritual life. Incidentally, that’s a life that never ends! It’s yours as a gift from the One who makes it possible for all who by faith will open their hearts to believe that he is who he says he is.