Fallen Scales
Did you know that snakes can’t close their eyes? They don’t have eyelids, so instead they use their brille – a clear scale that covers their eyes, keeps them moist, and protects them from the elements. When it’s time to sleep, they close their retina to prevent light from entering their eyes and converting into vision. The brille appears cloudy when snakes close their retinas to sleep and sheds along with the rest of their bodies when it is time to grow.
A similar thing happened to the apostle Paul, formerly known as Saul. Before Paul became an apostle, he was a zealous Pharisee who persecuted early Christians because he believed they were blasphemers who threatened Judaism. It wasn’t until he set out for Damascus to persecute the Christians residing there that God stopped him and blinded him:
“As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’” (Acts 9:3-4 NIV)
Long story short, Saul was blinded for three days, and God had a man named Ananias restore Saul’s sight when he got to Damascus. “Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized” (Acts 9:18 NIV)
Though God blinded Saul to humble him, there is an even deeper message here. Early on, while Jesus was still on Earth, He called Pharisees vipers, or venomous snakes (Matthew 12:34 NIV) because they were being deceitful as they tried to trap Jesus in his own words by asking tricky questions in hopes that Jesus would give a flawed or blasphemous response. This connection between the snake and deceit goes back to the Garden of Eden, where the devil disguised himself as a snake to deceive Eve and tempt Adam. The devil also inspires deceit among humans, which is why in John 8:44 NIV, Jesus says to the Pharisees, “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” Jesus confirms here that their ill motives come from the enemy.
The same was true for Saul. Saul was looking to destroy the Church, something the enemy seeks to do today. By blinding Saul and restoring his sight, similarly to how a reptile’s eyes behave, we can see the metaphor used to indicate that Saul’s actions were inspired by the enemy before he met Jesus. When the scales fell, he was ready to start walking in the light and be transformed. All deceit and corruption in this world is inspired by the enemy, though humans have a choice to either follow it or not. When Jesus saves us and opens our eyes, we must identify where the enemy is at work as he seeks to steal, kill, and destroy (in our world and our personal lives). We must keep our eyes open, keep walking in the light, and shine Jesus’ light so others can come to Him, and stop living with scales on their eyes and being vulnerable to the enemy.
