Cataracts and A Glass Darkly

1 Corinthians 13:12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

I recently had cataract surgery. Basically what happens is the cloudy natural lens is replaced with a clear artificial lens. I was given the choice of artificial lens improvement, near, medium and far sight. I chose far sight because of my concern about my ability to drive. I had my first procedure on my right eye on Monday. The actual procedure felt like it lasted only ten minutes. As the outer door was opened, I was shocked at how bright the sunlight was. It was painful. With the improvement in my right, the glasses prescription were no longer useful for the right eye. However, I could still use my left eye with my glasses. 

We when we returned home, I immediately took a nap. My eyes needed some rest. When I woke, I marveled at the light coming through the window. Not only was it bright but it appeared bluish. Like a great black light in the sky. Every color outside just popped. Red was fire engine red, green like emerald, blue like the deep Mongolian blue. That was my right eye sight. When I closed my right and looked out with my untouched left eye with my prescription glasses, it was considerably less so. Red was still red but like using a sepia filter. Red was a dull rustic red. After a while of switching back and forth between left and right sight, I started to get a headache. I decided to bandage my right eye so it could rest and just use my left. 

The next day I went in for my left eye procedure. The procedure went the same except this time they had to put a suture in my left eye. Because of this, they also had to put a contact lens over the eye to keep the suture from irritating my eyelid. However, the contact lens was not prescription so it was blurry. This had the same effect as yesterday. The blurry lens gave confusing input to my brain and caused another headache. I had to switch to using only my right eye. 

Now, not only was everything bright and colorful, but I could see without the use of any corrective lenses.i could read signs from a distance and even watch tv. This new world was incredible to witness. The following day, I had a follow-up appointment. They removed the lens that was causing problems. I could now see clearly without the use both eyes, this bright beautiful world of ours. As Jean drove me home and I was able to look upon everything with new vision, God brought to mind that verse about seeing through a glass darkly.

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13, “now I see through a glass darkly…” more modern translations may use the phrase “through a mirror dimly”. That might be more accurate. The Greek word used is pronounced esoptron which was an ancient mirror. Not one of glass like we use, but a polished metal, typically bronze. The picture you see is not clear nor accurate and has a hue to it. Paul goes on to say, “but then face to face; now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.” Paul is saying that we see the world incorrectly now, but when we enter into glory, we will see clearly as if we are looking at ourselves face to face. 

It was amazing to realize how little I noticed the cataracts covering the lens in my eyes. Colors slowly began to dim and clarity slowly blurred. I thought about how I do not really see anything as clearly as I would like. Sin has thrown a sheet over our eyes creating a discolored blur of truth. How glorious it will be to receive our glorified eyes and see everything as God meant us to see. And to know fully as I have been fully known.

The picture below is my attempt to show how the vision of each eye looked.