So I was reading in Luke 11 the other day (OK, like two weeks ago). I guess I haven't really read this book closely before, because I'm finding new things all the time. This partially makes me ashamed of my lack of Biblical knowledge, and it partially makes me awed by the amazing life this book has.
In verse 33 is the "don't light a lamp and put it under a basket" verse. But in 34, instead of calling us the light of the world, Jesus calls our eye the light of our bodies. When your eye is healthy your whole body is full of light. But when it is bad, your body is full of darkness.
Your eyes see what they want to see. The eye exposes the condition of the mind and heart. If your eyes see only weaknesses in others - their shortcomings and faults and failures, that lamp has shed light on the condition of your mind. It is full of darkness, because there is no light in your eyes. But if your eyes see the good in others, the positive in a situation and the possibility for God's glory to shine through any circumstance, then those eyes, full of light, reveal a body and mind that are also full of light.
What do my eyes see? Often I comment on my critical nature and judgmental thoughts. If my eyes are so full of darkness, maybe this explains why it is such a struggle for me to change myself into a 'better person.'
I'm having trouble with this passage, however. God is light, and in Him there is no darkness, right? And, since Christ is inside of me, I am a child of the light, right? So why do my eyes see darkness? Can I be full of darkness even with Christ living inside of me? Maybe the distinction lies between the "body" and the "spirit." Maybe it is possible for my body to be full of darkness, even though my spirit is full of light, although I don't believe it should be. I feel like the spirit should be the predominant decider in what fills the rest of me. Then in verse 35, it goes on to say that we should make sure that the light within us is not darkness. Let me know your thoughts on the issue. I'm a bit perplexed.
1 comment:
The way I see it, darkness is merely an absence of light, rather than the presence of some evil. So perhaps our eyes still see darkness in areas or times in our life that we have not allowed God to take full control of. If we are like lamps full of God's light, we may just be closing the shutter in one direction. Whether it be the darkened eye of judgement, lust, or pessimism that we struggle with, I see the darkness in our lives as mental barriers we create, blocking out the light of our spirit. There is no doubt that the light of Jesus is within us, but hide it under a bushel, No! I'm gonna let it shine :)
Mark
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