The Lamp of the BodyMy Understanding: There is an old expression that says that “The eyes are the window to the soul,” and it is based off of this passage of scripture. Eyes can be deceptive, though, and/or misinterpreted. Yet, there is a lot of truth to this statement. We can tell a lot about what a person is thinking or feeling based upon looking into his or her eyes. Yet, we must be careful to not judge one another based upon eyes or body language because that may not always be the case. Yet, this is one way in which this passage can be understood.
33 “No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead he puts it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light. 34 Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are good, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are bad, your body also is full of darkness. 35 See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. 36 Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be completely lighted, as when the light of a lamp shines on you.”
The eye, as well as possibly reflecting what is in one’s heart and mind, is also an organ that “converts light into impulses that are transmitted to the brain for interpretation;” and it is “power of sight; the ability to see;” (Encarta). The eye is also “judgment; appreciation; sense; discernment; and observation” (MS Thesaurus). So, the eye is a part of the body which takes in the light (or shuts it out), interprets it, discerns and makes judgments concerning the light, has the power of insight and discernment in comprehending the light, as well as the eye reflects the light or the absence of light coming from within the soul.
So, it appears that there is a direct correlation here between the term “eye” and our hearts, souls, minds, attitudes, discernment, and understanding, etc. So, when Jesus stated here that a person’s eye is the lamp of his body, he was speaking metaphorically concerning what is in one’s heart and soul that is often revealed through the physical eye. An eye of a storm is the center of the storm, as well as the eye of the body is its center, i.e. the eye is the heart and soul of man.
Jesus said that no one is good but God, so in this sense, the word “good” can be understood as describing one who is completely upright, respectable, decent, moral, virtuous, righteous, and blameless. No human is 100% good, and true goodness comes only from God. So, for our eyes to be good to where our bodies are full of light, then this must be speaking, today, of those who have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ and have been made righteous because of what Jesus Christ did in dying on the cross for our sins and in rising from the grave, triumphing over sin. In other words, the eye (the center of the person) received the light (Jesus Christ and the gospel of Christ), understood it, accepted it, and appropriated what Christ Jesus did for him into his life via faith, repentance and obedience, so that his life now reflects the light of Jesus and the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ. If one has a “bad eye,” it means his soul is still in darkness.
Jesus cautioned his listeners to see to it, then, that the light within them was not darkness. In other words, there were those who thought they were righteous, but they were not. They thought they had received the light of truth within them, but they had not. They were still full of darkness. Whether or not they were full of the light or full of darkness was reflected out through their souls – attitudes, actions, behaviors, words, etc. As long as we live in these bodies of flesh our flesh will war against the Spirit of God (the light) within us. So, we may still have parts that are still dark or that give way to the dark from time to time, and must be daily cleansed by the blood of Christ, so that Christ’s light will fill us to overflowing and we will be completely lighted so that the light within us can shine out through us. Yet, we should not have lives that are full of darkness and are absent of the light of Christ.
So if our eyes (souls) are good because of our relationship with Jesus Christ, then his light should shine out through us. We, if we are full of his light, should not hide that light from others. Our light (Christ and his gospel) within us should automatically shine out through us. We should put the light on a stand, so that everyone can see the light of Jesus within us. A stand is a framework or a supporting structure. The light of Jesus within us is supported by our daily times with the Lord Jesus in his word, in prayer, and in obedience to what he teaches us each day. If we are not in daily communion with him, listening to him and obeying what he says, then that light will fizzle out. A stand is also an attitude, opinion, to be in an upright position, to get up on one’s feet, a state of mind, and/or to fight resolutely for something you believe in. Jesus Christ needs to be reflected in our daily attitudes, actions, determination, resoluteness, etc. He must be the center of our lives, i.e. his light completely filling our souls, so that what comes out from us is his light.
So, when Jesus cautioned his listeners to see to it that the “light” within them was not darkness, and he coupled that statement with the fact that no one lights a lamp and then hides the light, and he coupled that statement with the fact that our eye (soul) is the lamp of our entire being, he was, in essence, saying that if his light, including the light of the gospel, is not being reflected through our lives in our attitudes, actions, behaviors and speech, then we need to do a heart examination to see whether or not the “light” that we think is within us is really darkness. Many are teaching salvation absent of repentance and obedience, so that many believe they have the light within them, but they are still walking in darkness. Although we will not reach absolute perfection until the Lord returns and we receive glorified bodies, still our lives should daily reflect Jesus Christ, his love and his gospel. If his light is not what is coming out of our mouths, attitudes and actions each day, then we need to ask him why, and we need to seek his face to see what needs changed.
God’s Great Commands / An Original Work / July 10, 2011
Loving God and loving others
Are the Lord God’s great commands.
On these rest all of the others;
Live by them and you’ll not fail.
Be a witness, share the gospel,
Be a light in this dark world.
Share the love of Jesus always
To a world who has not heard.
Serving others; be like Jesus;
Wash their feet and pray with them.
Be a healer; mend their hurts and
Show them how to turn from sin.
Be a living example of
How to live for Jesus Christ,
Walking with Him in His footsteps,
Leading others to new life.
Give to God and give to others
Of yourselves in ev’ry way.
Obey your Lord, do His bidding;
Bow your knees and humbly pray.
Pray for others to know Jesus.
Tell how they can be set free
Of their sins and live for Jesus;
Walk with Him eternally.
Song Lyrics @ Public Domain
Link to song
No comments:
Post a Comment