[Slip on a pair of sunglasses and look out over the congregation]

It’s Christmas Eve. Not the night you normally expect the preacher to wear a cool pair of shades.

Think this look will catch on?

[Remove the sunglasses and hold them up]

It seems odd to be wearing sunglasses at night, but for a blind person this accessory will soon make perfect sense — there is now a special pair of shades that can deliver the gift of sight. Called “Argus” — named after the Greek god who had 100 eyes — this system can help blind people to see by providing them with an artificial retina.

Here’s how it works: A small video camera is mounted on a pair of sunglasses. This camera is connected to a tiny electronic implant in the retina of the eye. Then images from the camera pass through the implant and stimulate the retina, which transmits signals to the brain. (Cyrus Farivar, "Jeepers Creepers, Bionic Peepers," May 5, 2005, Wired News, www.wired.com)

Suddenly, the people who walk in darkness are able to see a great light, and those who dwell in a land of darkness — on them the light shines! (Isaiah 9:2).

So next time you see a preacher wearing sunglasses at night, don’t assume he’s making a fashion statement. He might be wearing Argus Eyes!

An artificial retina is an amazing invention, but it doesn’t do much for us when we are struggling with forms of darkness that have nothing to do with physical blindness. Maybe our personal darkness comes from depression, or disillusionment, or doubt. Perhaps it originates in discouraging work or a deteriorating relationship. Maybe it comes from having nothing to look forward to, no contribution to make, no one to love.

To find some light in these types of darkness, it’s going to take more than an Argus system to help us. We need Jesus Eyes.

The prophet Isaiah certainly knew the deep darkness of despair when he wrote tonight’s passage of Scripture. His people had experienced the rod of oppression, the tramping of warriors, and the tumult of battle — similar to what our service men and women are facing in Iraq. They knew the reality of depression and death. Darkness had settled on the land of Israel when, out of nowhere, there came good news of a great joy: “For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests on his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace …” (vv. 6-7).

A child was born in Bethlehem, and the world was introduced to a new way of seeing. Expectations were turned upside down by a Mighty God taking the form of a vulnerable baby. This birth marked the beginning of a new era in human history, one in which injustice, selfishness, and violence were replaced by justice, righteousness, and peace. But like all new forms of seeing, this innovation required some adaptation. It took a while for people to get used to seeing with Jesus Eyes.

It seems to me that we’re still making the adjustment today..

So what does it mean to see the world through the eyes of the one who is born this day in the city of David – our Savior, Christ the Lord? Isaiah gives us a clue with the four names he attaches to the child who is put on the throne of David.

To have Jesus Eyes is to share the vision of a Wonderful Counselor. This means that we are able to move into the future alongside a dependable leader and guide. He gives us a new path to walk, including a fresh approach to our enemies. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy,’” says Jesus on the Sermon on the Mount. “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:43-45).

When we have Jesus Eyes, we aren’t looking to love only those people who love us, because everyone does that. Instead, we are looking to love everyone — friends and enemies — as children of our heavenly Father. That’s a whole new path for us to walk, and it’s one that leads us to everlasting life. “Do not be overcome by evil,” says the apostle Paul in Romans; instead, “overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21).

To see with these lenses is also to perceive the activity of a Mighty God. Sure, this may be hard to grasp when Jesus first appears on the earth as a powerless child, but keep in mind that he grows into a man who has the strength to conquer sin and death. He’s not the weak and skinny Jesus who appears in the animated series South Park, hosting a TV show called Jesus and Pals. No, the real Jesus is one who has the skill and the strength to achieve significant victories.

Remember this when you are doing battle in your own life … with a temptation … with a set-back in your studies … with a personal rejection … with a professional disappointment … with a particularly crushing loss. You always have a Mighty God riding in front of you, one with the strength and skill to provide real leadership in battle. Follow the guidance of Jesus when you are feeling bruised and beaten down, and he will show you the way to emerge victorious. “Thanks be to God,” says the apostle Paul, “who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57).

God is all about victory in these situations. Victory through Jesus. Not defeat.

Looking with Jesus Eyes also gives us a clear vision of our Everlasting Father. God is not an absent or abusive or distant dad, but is instead a close and caring and attentive Father – one who has deep concern for the welfare of his people. “Look at the birds of the air,” says Jesus to his followers; “they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” (Matthew 6:26). Jesus tells us not to worry about clothing or food or shelter or anything else we need for life. He assures us that our Everlasting Father will meet our needs, as long as we put time and energy into pursuing his kingdom.

I consider myself very fortunate that I had a wonderful dad, one who taught me a great deal about the character of our Everlasting Father. I am so happy that I was able to tell my father about what a great example he had been, before his death last winter. But I am also aware that it is not easy for every Christian to believe that a Heavenly Father is such a good thing. Psychologist Bill Gaultiere has heard people say, “My dad was an angry alcoholic. He used to refer to himself as G.O.D., short for ‘Good Old Dad.’ He thought it was a joke, but [now] I have the same distrust and disdain for my Heavenly Father.”

So it’s not possible for everyone to make a positive connection between Father and God. But when this happens, the best thing to do is “think Jesus.” Jesus and our Heavenly Father are one God, so the face of Jesus is the same as the face of God. Jesus is our Everlasting Father, and when we need an image of a close and caring and attentive parent, we can look directly at him.

Finally, the eyes of Jesus help us to see the world through the eyes of the Prince of Peace. The mission of Jesus is to bring peace, prosperity, and well-being to all people, and he challenges us to work toward the very same goals. To see eye-to-eye with the Prince of Peace is to live “with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore” (Isaiah 9:7). It means to embrace these virtues in our personal lives, in our community involvement, in the way we treat strangers, and in the way we practice our politics. It means that we see the world as a place that needs more peace, more justice, and more righteousness, and that our mission as Christians is to push toward these goals in whatever way we can.

When you put on a new pair of glasses, you see the world in an entirely different light. This is true for a pair of shades, and it’s true for the new Argus apparatus. But since most of us won’t receive any artificial retinas this Christmas, we’ll need to look for a different kind of seeing. We’ll need to hope for an even more amazing gift – one that will give us new vision and new light as we make our way through the darkness.

The gift of Jesus Eyes. May this be your most valuable Christmas present. Amen.