What we focus our eyes on can reinforce the good or the bad desires of our heart.
“If, then, your eye is simple, your whole body will be bright.”—MATTHEW 6:22.
JESUS REMARKED that “the lamp of the body is the eye.” (Matthew 6:22) A lamp is used to light up a dark place so that we know where we are, how to act, which way to go, and so on. By admitting light into our body, our eyes serve the same function as a lamp. They enable us to keep in close touch with the world around us and to respond with intelligent and specific reactions, rather than groping, stumbling, and possibly hurting ourselves.
The extent to which the eye can serve as a lamp to the body, however, depends largely on the condition of the eye. For this reason, Jesus went on to say: “If, then, your eye is simple, your whole body will be bright; but if your eye is wicked, your whole body will be dark. If in reality the light that is in you is darkness, how great that darkness is!” (Matthew 6:22, 23) From this we can see the tremendous influence that the eye exerts on our entire life course, for good or for bad.
Confronted daily with such an array of eye-appealing distractions, we can appreciate all the more why Jesus Christ admonished us to keep our eye “simple” and not “wicked.” (Matthew 6:22, 23) What does that mean? “Simple” here is translated from the Greek word ha·plous′, which basically means singleness of mind or devotion to one purpose. On the other hand, “wicked” in the original Greek is po·ne·ros′ and has the meaning of bad, worthless, evil. Thus, the ‘simple eye,’ rather than being distracted or sidetracked by everything that is going on, focuses its attention on only one thing. By contrast, the ‘wicked eye’ is shifty, crafty, and covetous, and is drawn to things shady and dark.
But what should the eye focus on so that the “whole body will be bright”? A consideration of the context will help us to find the answer. In the preceding verses, Jesus was talking about “treasures upon the earth” and “treasures in heaven.” He said that “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Then, after discussing the eye, he again emphasized the need to show singleness of purpose, saying: “No one can slave for two masters,” God and Riches. In the following verses, he offered counsel on one’s view of the daily necessities and concluded with the admonition: “Keep on, then, seeking first the kingdom and his righteousness, and all these other things will be added to you.”—Matthew 6:19-34.
What can we glean from all of this? Jesus is here talking about goals in life, pointing out the futility of the pursuit of material things and the blessing of cultivating interest in spiritual matters. Clearly, he is telling us that by focusing our eyes singly on Kingdom interests, our “whole body will be bright.” Why?
Because if we make the doing of God’s will our goal in life, we will seek to reflect the glorious good news in every aspect of our lives. Not only can we look forward to a bright future but we can also be freed from the dark and underhanded things produced by a life devoted to selfish pursuits.—2 Corinthians 4:1-6.
*** w86 5/1 pp. 10-11 pars. 3-4 Is Your Eye “Simple”? ***
Photo Credit: jenny-pics
