Removing the Veil

“Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech—unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away. But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away” (2 Corinthians 3:12-16, NKJV).

In this passage, Paul primarily discusses the Jews’ blindness to Jesus as the Messiah. Yet he is also laying down a principle that applies to all people, Jew and Gentile. He is talking about blindness to biblical truth. Note verse 14: “But their minds were blinded.”

Please understand, the people Paul wrote to were sincere. They faithfully studied the books of Moses, the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms of David. They revered God’s Word, teaching from it and quoting it freely. Yet there was still a veil over their eyes.

We think of a spiritual veil covering the eyes of Jews, Muslims, and others, blinding them to the truth about Jesus. Yet there is also a veil over the eyes of many believers. They read God’s clear warnings in Scripture; they hear them preached with power, yet they’re still not affected. In fact, they continue doing the very things they hear God’s Word renounce.

Paul says that before our blindness can be removed, we must turn to the Lord. “Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away” (2 Corinthians 3:16). The Greek word for turn here means “to reverse course.” Paul is saying, “You have to admit that the course you’re taking has brought you to emptiness, ruin, despair.”

Beloved, if your life is in some kind of turmoil and things are deteriorating, you know you’re going to have to change course. You may think, “It’s my husband or my wife who’s in a bad place and needs to change. Or, “My boss is doing everything wrong.” We so clearly see the mistakes and wrongdoings of others, yet we are blind to our own need for change. We need to admit to God, “It’s me, Lord. I’m the one who needs to change. Please, Father, show me where I’ve gone wrong.”