Shining Lights

Shining Lights

Read: Luke 11:33-36

“Your eye is the lamp of your body.”

Luke 11:34

“The body has two eyes, but the soul must have but one.”

—William Secker

IN WORD Many commentators see a Hebrew idiom in this verse: “a good eye” refers to generosity and “a bad eye” refers to stinginess. Others broaden the image to include truth and purity on the positive side, covetousness and lust on the negative. No matter how one takes the symbolism, Jesus is clear: What our eyes see—what we strive for and what we take in—is important. The conduct of our eyes, literally and figuratively, with regard to money and other human passions, determines to a large degree the amount of light we receive from God.

Just as light allows us to see into once-dark places, our eyes allow us to understand who we really are in the depths of our souls. If our eyes take in the true light that comes from God—His Word and the glory of His gospel in Christ—we see well. There is clarity and wisdom that can only come from seeing things as God sees them. But if our eyes consume garbage—the cravings of sinful man and the pride of self-indulgence—then we see ourselves in the dark, obscurely and distortedly, if at all. What we choose to see has a lot to do with whether we are walking in God’s light and whether we are shining His light for others to see.

IN DEED Joyful generosity is a clear indication that one is walking in the light. So are purity and God-directed desires. Stinginess, self-indulgence, and impure vision are likewise clear indications that one is not walking in the light. And all of these are cultivated by what we choose—and refuse— to see.

With what do you feed your soul? Can you set it on a stand for others to see? One of a Christian’s greatest struggles is trying to see it all—we become confused and divided. Do we gaze on light, darkness, or both? If you really want to know, do an inventory of things that fill your eyes, metaphorically speaking. Is your vision occupied with money? lustfulness? selfish extravagance? If so, be careful for what you see. Purify your sight, and let your light shine.