Faith like an eye

We all receive God’s blessings equally.

But some of us, receiving God’s fire,
that is, His word, become soft like beeswax,
while the others like clay become hard as stone.

And if we do not want Him,
He does not force any of us,
but like the sun,
He sends His rays
and illuminates the whole world,
and he who wants to see Him, sees Him,
whereas the one who does not want to see Him,
is not forced by Him.

And no one is responsible
for this privation of light
except the one who does not want to have it.

God created the sun and the eye.
Man is free to receive the sun’s light or not.
The same is true here.

God sends the light of knowledge like rays to all,
but He also gave us faith like an eye.

The one who wants to receive knowledge through faith,
keeps it by his works,
and so God gives him more willingness,
knowledge and power.

Peter of Damascus