"The
eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full
of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If
then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!"
Matthew 6:22-23 (NIV)
It
has been said that the eyes are the window to the soul.
In
the ancient world the question was, “does the eye permit light to enter the
body or does the eye send light out from the body?”
When Jesus speaks of the eye as a lamp he’s probably saying that the
eye is something through which light passes into objects, probably meaning that
the eye sends light out from within. In
other words a good eye indicates a light within a person.
Jesus’ focus is on the inner person.
In other words, am I full of darkness or am I full of light?
So,
how do I know? If my inner
self is full of darkness, how would I know.
Does darkness recognize darkness? Does
a fish know it’s wet? Interestingly
the word that is used for “good” (eye) is the same word that is often used
elsewhere in the Greek language (the language in which the New Testament was
written) for “generous”.
If Jesus is connecting the eye analogy to the previous treasure analogy
then it appears that Jesus is using the eye as a moral image for how we respond
to people in need. To
put it bluntly, when I am a generous giver that’s a pretty good sign that
there’s at least some light within me which shines out through the window of
my eye, evidenced by what I do with my money.
Am I a generous giver, or am I a keeper in regard to my money?
If I’m keeper, then that’s a sign that there is darkness within me.
“Lord, way too often I am a taker and
keeper. There is darkness within.
Please forgive me, cleanse me of my sin of believing I never have enough.
Forgive me for placing my wants above others’ needs.
Lord, by your Spirit there is light within me.
Give me the conviction to let it shine and cause me to do so with my
wallet, Amen”
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