Matthew 6:22-23
The lamp of the body is the eye. If your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light; but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be in darkness.
We read often of Jesus teaching about parts of the body that cause us to sin. Paul also writes about the body in his letters. Today Matthew shares about the eye being the doorway to the heart and soul. The eye sees all, but the mind and heart process what we see. We make judgements on what we see. Two people can be watching the same event and interpret it two different ways. Much of the interpretation depends on past experiences and what the heart knows.
The mind and heart generally know instinctively what is right and wrong. The first time someone sees something erotic or violent, they know in their heart something different is going on. They may be confused, scared, curious…but they know something is not right. But when one is exposed over and over again to the same content, this can lead to a change in the heart that is a detriment to the soul. This is what Jesus is addressing today. If your eye sees only what is good and pure, then that's how your heart will be. But if you are looking at sinful things, then your heart will be in darkness. Too much sex, violence, anger on television, radio and internet can destroy the user. A word associated with this is concupiscence. (You can look that one up!)
This world is full of darkness, full of sin. We have to expose ourselves more to things that are good. Spend today reading the bible, listening to Spirit FM and praying for help in avoiding those sins of the eye that damage our heart.
