Photo by Scott Webb on Unsplash
“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light.“ (Matt 6:22 NIV84) [see these verses in their context below]
Variations of the phrase, the eyes are the window of the soul, have existed for centuries and are attributed to originate with Cicero and Shakespeare among others. But Jesus said it most profoundly in the Sermon on the Mount.
Over the years, I’ve tracked many sayings and phrases back to the Bible as their origin. For example, “there’s nothing new under the sun” didn’t originate with Shakespeare but King Solomon in Ecclesiastes 1:9.
On the other hand, some sayings are said to be in the Bible but aren’t—God helps those who help themselves… Godliness is next to cleanliness.
This is the problem with cliched phrases and sayings—they’re overused and often get misconstrued or are misunderstood. Also, the context where they originated is lost or forgotten.
Figurative language is especially prone to misunderstanding or being taken in the wrong way or too literally. When someone uses figurative language, we need to discern what they meant by what they said.
Many people struggle with various Bible verses because they take what they read too literally, as when Jesus said to “pluck out your eye” if it offends you (Matt 5:29). Often, the intended meaning is made clear in the context where it’s said or explained later.
But people can take things intended to be understood in a literal sense and convert the meaning to some abstract or theoretical sense. When Jesus called Peter, Andrew, John, and James to follow Him, they knew exactly what He was saying and left their nets to follow Him as their rabbi (4:18-22).
Insights to consider
The idea of the eye as a window to the soul is often taken that others are able to see into another person’s soul or heart. But Jesus indicates the eye is the gateway for what a person takes into their own heart.
In the original language of the gospel (koine Greek), it is written, “The lamp of the body is the eye.” The word lamp refers to a candle or small portable lamp set on a lampstand. A source of light to see.
How Jesus uses this word relates to what we see out outside of ourselves and what we allow to be taken into our minds and hearts. Think of the light as a figure for truth, the truth of God and His Kingdom.
This is explained further in the rest of verse 22—”If your eyes are good….” Good means whole or single. In a moral sense, it is similar to the root meaning of integrity or wholeness of character.
God spoke through the prophet Ezekiel of giving to those who trust in Him an undivided or single heart—
I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. (Ezek 11:19 NIV)
This seems to be the sense of what Jesus is saying here in verse 22— If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. (NIV)
Basic health science tells us how our physical health is connected to our internal health. Not just the effect of anxiety or stress but physical health based on good nutrition, exercise, and a good immune system.
When light (God’s truth) comes through our eyes into our minds and hearts, then our whole body or being is full of light also. Keep in mind, we are not just a body, we are a soul and spirit within a body.
Consequently, if we let darkness come into our inner being, it will result in an unhealthiness in our life. The darkness invades and spreads throughout our life.
In the gospel of John, we’re told how those who love darkness end up hating the light because it exposes their inner darkness (John 3:19-21). It’s the same idea here.
When we seek and embrace the light it makes us whole. But when we choose darkness over light, it corrupts us and the darkness tends to overwhelm and blot out the light in us.
True Faith
Looking at the context of these two verses in Matthew Chapter 6, we might ask—What does this have to do with true faith or treasures of the heart?
It says in Proverbs—
The spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all the inner depths of his heart. (Prov 20:27 NKJV)
The Lord knows who and in what we trust. But too often, we are so caught up in all we do within a given day, we don’t realize where we are placing our trust.
What we entertain in our minds or treasure in our hearts has a direct impact on the health of our inner being and character.
When we focus on the Lord and His Kingdom—His realm, we will be whole and healthy in our hearts. The apostle John tells us, “God is light…” and He’s the creator of light (1 John 1:5; Gen 1:3). There is no darkness in Him.
But when we embrace the glare of this world that masquerades as light, it’s only a matter of time for us to be filled with its darkness.
An unhealthy appetite for the kingdom of this world brings us into the realm of the prince of this world—the prince of darkness.
The glare of the world is a distorted reflection of the darkness of the enemy of our souls. And it is great darkness.
But here’s the assurance we have when we trust in the Lord and seek His Kingdom through faith—
And giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.
For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (Col 1:12-14 NIV)
Jesus calls us to be the light of the world even as He was when He walked on earth (John 8:12).
What do you allow to shine into your heart?
The glare of the world or the light of God?
Reflection—
The Lord knows who and in what we trust. When we embrace the glare of this world that masquerades as light, it’s only a matter of time for us to be filled with its darkness. When we focus on the Lord and His Kingdom—His realm, we will be whole and healthy in our hearts.
Prayer Focus—
Ask the Lord for discernment and His guidance to consider what you are allowing to come into your mind and heart. If it is the glare and darkness of the world, then ask the Lord to help you shut it out so you can focus on the Lord, His truth, and His Kingdom.
Devo Scripture Text
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
“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!”
“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.”
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
(Matthew 6:19-34 NIV84)