First, I want to see it in the New Living Translation which says it like this
“Your eye is a lamp for your body. A pure eye lets sunshine into your soul. 23 But an evil eye shuts out the light and plunges you into darkness. If the light you think you have is really darkness, how deep that darkness will be!
Even a cursory reading of this passage in any version enables you to see that Jesus is not talking about the physical eye here. In other versions it says “If your eye is single” or you could say without double vision having mixed motives. The NLT helpfully uses the word “pure”.
In either case we can see it reflects the heart and understanding with a soundness or singleness of purpose. It is looking at something from the right and Godly perspective that enables us to see clearly so we can serve and please God. Then our character is consistent and bright.
Nevertheless the example is a good one in thinking what it must be like to be blind and living a life in darkness even in physical terms. So lets break this down further and see it afresh in terms of our priority and focus as we did last month
1) Priority of the heart
If we keep our heart single or pure or good or clear there will always be light in our life. If not then darkness will prevail in our conversation and our nature.
The good news is Jesus came to deliver us from darkness to light. The big question and the temptation we always face is to stay in that light. Jesus has brought us out of darkness but do our thoughts and motivations put us back there so we are not consistent in our Christian life?
2) The focus of the Understanding
This is our practical judgment, our conscience to guide and direct us. If we have our priority right we will make true and right judgments and be able to see things that are an unwise course. We will choose rightly and not be moved to go out of our true focus on life or in effect to go astray or be distracted into other things that catch our eye
This is easy to do even over natural things. We know we should head home but that pair of shoes just catches our eye and we just must go in and try them on.
3) Our aims and intentions in life
It is that thing that we shoot for, Our goals in life. What we direct our life towards.
So this passage is saying if we have a good clear eye or aim based upon placing our focus and priorities on God and His Kingdom then we shall thrive. If we seek his honour and favour then all will be well
Philippians 1:21 says “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain”
Is that our heart that Jesus is our priority and seeing His Kingdom flourish is everything? Alternatively do we focus our attention at getting the applause of men and seek our own honour and our own things?
If we do the latter our foundation goes off course and our focus comes onto temporary things that truly have no long term bearing for our future.
2 Corinthians 4:18 NLT
"So we don’t look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever"
In other versions it says our troubles are temporary or subject to change. So if we stay focused, keep our heart pure then whatever we are facing will turn out okay.
So to close let me ask you this Christmas season, what are you focusing your life on right now? Is it something that is eternal and will last forever or is it something that if you think about it long enough is only temporary and could easily change or go wrong on you? That is easy to do at this time of year when there are so many distractions to pull you away from the true meaning of Christmas. However this truth applies throughout our life.
The word in verse 23 concludes strongly that if you are focussing on the wrong things it is a very dark place to be. If you are open and realise that is the case with you then it is time to redirect your treasure and your focus in life. Its time to discover the joy that rests there.
You can do it and your Christmas this year will be the best ever.