Clarity is a constant issue for us. We strive to have clear minds, clear views and clear understanding. We are all vying for a clear path, the absence of obstacles, the opportunity to clearly see what lies ahead of us and how we should go about getting to where we desire to be. The problem is, we don’t see clearly. I Corinthians 13:12 says “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.” Just a few verses earlier Paul had written, “For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes the partial will be done away.” The point that Paul was making is that now, here on earth, our clearest vision is still a bit foggy, our most confident knowledge is still somewhat elementary and even our most Spirit-led prophesy is still mixed with our human understanding. When John the Baptist’s disciples returned to him with a complaint about the crowds running to Jesus and away from them he immediately knew that the only way to minister to their disappointment of unmet expectations was to provide them with a bit more clarity about who he was, who Jesus was and who they were meant to be. I believe that most of us need the same thing most of the time. We often look for a change of circumstances, an answer to a question or a way to solve a problem but in reality, mostly, if we just had a bit more clarity about God’s character, our condition and God’s desire for the people around us, it might not answer all of our questions but it would calm many of our fears and soothe most of our disappointments. Disappointment comes from the outcome being different than we had expected it to be. Paul was attempting to prepare us for the reality that many of life’s outcomes will be different from our expectations because we only see in part, if we only see in part how can we expect in full? In today’s text John the Baptist is teaching a similar thought, we will hear him say “he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth.” He is saying that no matter how much revelation one of us may have been given we have to be mindful of our condition, we must remember as God does, that we are but dust and know that no matter how clearly we see anything, the thing we see is but part of what will be seen. John’s disciples had seen in part and they were convinced of the part they had seen but like most of us, they confused their part for the whole and when there was more to be seen rather than gazing intently, they complained with disappointment. This morning I pray that we will learn from John the Baptist’s example and see our part clearly, but then that we will confess and believe that at best we only see a part and start to realize that until my part joins with your part I have limited my own clarity. Then together, I pray, that we will “fix our eyes on Jesus” so that He can both “author” and “finish” our faith until His will is finally done and His kingdom has fully come. At that time, the partial will pass away, the perfect will come and He “will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body.”