Do you have a viewpoint? It seems that everyone does have a view from a point, that is, the way things appear to them from where they are. Three-dimensional objects have a different appearance depending on where they are observed from, so other people see things differently than you do, and this principle of optics extends to abstracts concepts too, so disagreement and strife arise from differences of opinion. Spiritual vision releases you from this limitation, for in the spirit you are not limited to seeing from a single point. He who is spiritual judges all things because he can see them as they really are. Ask of me and I will open your eyes. 

Are you uncomfortable about the subject of circumcision? I’m not. My word makes it clear that it is no longer of a spiritual benefit, but it was my idea in the first place. This was a symbol of covenant and you should be willing to learn why I chose it before you reject it, for it is based on principles that are still valid. The act involved the cutting of flesh. Not just an incision, but a severing. Later scriptures go on to reveal the parallels and how the principle applies to you. They refer to the circumcision of your heart rather than your flesh. This is a deeper and more profound work and symbol of the new covenant, a spiritual severing of the flesh.

You do not pay for your blessings, but do you see a connection between the donations you give to my work and the blessings you receive from me? Governments that allow donations to be tax deductible require that nothing be received in return but an intangible spiritual benefit. Even if these cannot be assigned a monetary value you can still assign a value to them. I told a parable about a pearl of great price hidden in a field. The man who found it kept it a secret and sold all he had to obtain what he could not really afford. I want you to value these intangible benefits so highly that you know you are getting a bargain. 

Pain and suffering come to everyone. These ‘ordinary’ wounds are a normal part of life. How do you respond to them? If you respond with self-pity and resentment, or lash out in returning the attack against those who have inflicted them on you, then they will not only remain as ordinary wounds but you will escalate a downward spiral and become embittered. The other alternative is to transform them into ‘sacred’ wounds. In this case you look beyond the perpetrator and your own pain to see my redemptive purpose in them. This gives them transformative power in your life. All wounds start out as ordinary. Do you have the vision to see them as sacred?