Is Your Eye Good?

Is Your Eye Good?

“The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” Matt. 6:22-23.

This parable is between Jesus’ message about gathering treasures on earth or in heaven, and about serving two masters and not being anxious. It can appear as if there were no connection between it and the others.

However, we learn from this parable that it depends on our vision whether the eye is good. In other words, it is a question of how we view a matter.

“And give you enlightened eyes of the heart; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.” Eph. 1:18.

Here we can see that it is a question of the eye. If it is good, we have hope and a glorious inheritance to live for. The god of this world has blinded the eyes of the unbelievers, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. 2 Cor. 4:4. Then the eye is bad and everything becomes dark. They have no future and seek to gather treasures on earth. Such people are anxious for all kinds of things.

“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” 2 Cor. 4:17-18.

When we have the invisible things (treasure in heaven, sanctification) in mind, then we have a good heart and a good eye. Then the entire body is light. Then everything is blessed. Regardless of which difficulties arise, they are only momentary and light, and they work for us a far more exceeding weight of glory—the virtues of Christ. Your eye is sick as soon as you have the visible things in mind. Such a person sees amiss. Evil spirits gain power; circumstances become very difficult, causing anxiety and bitterness. Everything becomes dark.

“He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.” 1 John 2:9-11.

A person’s heart is not right if he hates his brother. Then the eye is also bad, because the darkness has blinded him. Such people often believe that they see clearly, and they express themselves with absolute certainty about this and that person. “If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” Such a person is in a bad state. Such people are constantly bothered by suspicions. Their entire body is in darkness.

To be apprehended of Christ is to be apprehended of the virtues of Christ. You have an eye for something of which you are apprehended. Your eye is good if you have an eye for the virtues of Christ. Then you see clearly and gain heavenly treasures from all kinds of things.

You are blind if you do not have an eye for the virtues so that they increase. You have forgotten that you have been purged from your former sins. 2 Pet. 1:5-9. This is how Israel forgot their need in Egypt, but they did remember the fleshpots. Their eyes were bad, and they did not see God’s calling. In like manner there are many people who forget the need they were in when they lived in sin, and so they desire earthly things. They never obtain the promises. You keep your eyes good and clear by faith and patience, and you obtain that which has been promised. Heb. 6:12. Then the entire body is light.