Matthew 6:22-23

[cih1355]

Matthew 6:22-23 states, "The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!"

What is the point that Jesus is making? Is He talking about one's spiritual sight?

 

[Peairtach]

Sounds like it.

We must learn to view everything through the lens of Scripture, properly interpreted and illuminated by the Holy Spirit. The Pharisees for instance viewed things through Scripture overlaid with the "Oral Law"/ "the traditions of the elders". They added volumes of "Mishnah" and "Gemarra" to God's Word, thus voiding it with their unblblical traditions.

Moses - under divine inspiration - said that the people should bind God's Word to their foreheads.

Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. (Deuteronomy 6:8)

It is doubtful that this was meant to be taken literally and applied to the making of "phylactaries" as the Jews did. But it means that God's people should look at everything in the light of God's law/Word, and act in conformity with God's law/Word.

Therefore it is important that that Word be unadulterated (Sola Scriptura) and properly approached and interpreted by those who are true Christians. The reformers had to clear God's Word of the unbiblical traditions of Rome that still obscure the spiritual sight of Romanists.

 

[cih1355]

Is the envious eye in Matthew 20:15 the same as the bad eye in Matthew 6:23?

 

[Peairtach]

Not really at all.

In the parable in Matthew 20:15, Jesus is dealing with the objection that some may have, in this life, that all will be rewarded with Heaven if they believe and start working for Him, even if they believe e.g. near their death.

We as Christians shouldn't feel resentful or envious of such brothers and sisters, nor of those brothers and sisters that don't seem to be "pulling their weight" in the work of the Kingdom, although we should encourage each other to pull our weight.

There won't be any actual envy in the Heavenly Kingdom, because all will be holy and happy. It's a parable.

 

[cih1355]

What does it mean to be full of light as it is mentioned in Matthew 6:22? Does it have to do with being filled with truth or holiness?

 

[Peairtach]

Spiritual light and spiritual life are connected in the Bible. You can't be filled with true spiritual truth without being filled with holiness and vice versa.

"Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God"

Try getting a good quality basic commentary on the Bible to help with basic Bible study e.g. Matthew Henry in six volumes.