“The eye is the lamp of your body; when your eye is clear, your whole body also is full of light; but when it is bad, your body also is full of darkness.” – Luke 11:34
The word clear above is haplous (Strong’s 573). It means simple, single, sincere. Another rendering might be “when your eye is single, your whole body also is full of light.” In other words: pure.
In the parallel passage from the book of Matthew (6:22) the next verse follows: “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other (v23).” Jesus is saying, “Let your eye be pure.“ Let it be “free from mixture…free from contamination…clean, spotless, or unsullied.” Let it be singular.
Let me say it this way: your eye must be without division. Your purpose in life must be free from mixture. If we say that we love God but we harbor our own ambitions, we have double-vision. You cannot serve two masters. Last time I said temptation comes as a mistress to our affections to change our alliance. Today I want to urge you to let your affection be pure. Let nothing distract you from the One who is worthy of all your devotion. Do not allow yourself to be divided by the devil, the flesh, and the world. Follow the Spirit. Keep yourself pure.
Is it not interesting that Jesus immediately follows up on his statement about clear eyes with the statement about two masters? Where your affections are is where your allegience is.
Can I ask you a pointed question? You don’t have to tell me the answer. What have you been looking at? Not just physically. Where is your vision? What is your purpose? What have you been living for? Is your eye clear, or is your heart divided?
Look, it’s really simple. No one can serve two masters. So I want to encourage you: let your eye be single. Set your heart like David did:
“One thing have I asked of the Lord, that I shall seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to meditate in His temple.” -Psalm 27:4
Then your footing will be sure and your path straight.
April 16, 2009 at 12:29 pm
[...] This is the fundamental problem with any mixed priorities the Church has. I have often concluded that all outward problems lead back to the heart. If we have our priorities mixed up, it is an indication that our vision is shifting. [...]