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Matthew 6:22-23

K

Kathi

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What does Matthew 6:22-23 mean to you?
22 “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
 
A number of background aspects can be usefully remembered from Matthew's Gospel. Many of the Lord Jesus's audience were from a Jewish background and some of them had curiosity about Him, but their hearts were not necessarily attuned to His ways at all.

Particularly in Matthew, the Lord Jesus often spoke in figures of speech, parables and also with regard to future events on earth as they relate dispensationally to Israel.

Here, light seems to be linked with understanding and presuppositions. If one's basic understanding of the Lord Jesus and His ways are right and Spirit-led and heartfelt, then the whole person is living a life of faith.

But if this understanding of Him is fundamentally wrong, then the whole person is on a wrong course.

Blessings.
 
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When Jesus said "good" eyes,He meant eye that not only see well,but also perceived well.It is not only what we see,but how we perceive what we see that make a difference between godliness and ungodliness,between light and dark.
Are what our eyes viewing bringing Glory to God?
 
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Ms Kathi: I also think that John's First Epistle, among its themes being light and the glory of God, can be a good parallel commentary on this Matthew passage.

Blessings.
 
PS: It's interesting also that the passage is in the same chapter as where the Prayer that the Lord taught His disciples is found.

Blessings.
 
Kathi said:
What does Matthew 6:22-23 mean to you?
22 “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
Click to expand...

It means there is a balance within us. Light to Dark. Satan to Jesus. If you are full of light there can be no room for the dark. Jesus is peaceful, soft spoken, logical Satan is drama causing, loud/obnoxious, and pleasure seeking Jesus is private, loving, and truth Satan is public, hateful/angry, and is the father of lies

This balance exist in every individual. Things like fasting and not sinning can allow more light into us. The gentiles have no discipline, and walk around in darkness. As that is what their balance is high in. The bible tells us that sin erodes your soul. This process allows more darkness into your heart.
 
BigSodaExposer said:
It means there is a balance within us. Light to Dark. Satan to Jesus. If you are full of light there can be no room for the dark. Jesus is peaceful, soft spoken, logical Satan is drama causing, loud/obnoxious, and pleasure seeking Jesus is private, loving, and truth Satan is public, hateful/angry, and is the father of lies

This balance exist in every individual. Things like fasting and not sinning can allow more light into us. The gentiles have no discipline, and walk around in darkness. As that is what their balance is high in. The bible tells us that sin erodes your soul. This process allows more darkness into your heart.
Click to expand...

"The gentiles have no discipline, and walk around in darkness." ??

Explain this statement please. Thanks
 
Kathi said:
What does Matthew 6:22-23 mean to you?
22 “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
Click to expand...

Jesus is using a Euphemism that all his listeners understood, but which we don't have in English, and so is very misunderstood today. To have a good eye was a euphemism for being generous, while having a bad eye was a euphemism for being stingy. What he is saying is that if you are generous with your money, you will be generous with your time and other possessions as well, but if you are stingy with your money, you will be stingy in other areas as well.

If you look at the context, you'll see that he just finished talking about money and material possessions, and follows this up by talking about money and material possessions.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matt. 6:21 ESV)

No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. (Matt. 6:24 ESV)
​
Why would he start by talking about money, then say a couple of sentences about something entirely different, then start talking about money again? It all makes more sense if we understand that he was talking about money the whole time.

The TOG​
 
TOG said:
Jesus is using a Euphemism that all his listeners understood, but which we don't have in English, and so is very misunderstood today. To have a good eye was a euphemism for being generous, while having a bad eye was a euphemism for being stingy. What he is saying is that if you are generous with your money, you will be generous with your time and other possessions as well, but if you are stingy with your money, you will be stingy in other areas as well.

If you look at the context, you'll see that he just finished talking about money and material possessions, and follows this up by talking about money and material possessions.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matt. 6:21 ESV)

No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. (Matt. 6:24 ESV)
​
Why would he start by talking about money, then say a couple of sentences about something entirely different, then start talking about money again? It all makes more sense if we understand that he was talking about money the whole time.

The TOG​
Click to expand...

Thanks TOG. That's a good lesson about reading in context. I missed it!
 
TOG said:
Jesus is using a Euphemism that all his listeners understood, but which we don't have in English, and so is very misunderstood today. To have a good eye was a euphemism for being generous, while having a bad eye was a euphemism for being stingy. What he is saying is that if you are generous with your money, you will be generous with your time and other possessions as well, but if you are stingy with your money, you will be stingy in other areas as well.

If you look at the context, you'll see that he just finished talking about money and material possessions, and follows this up by talking about money and material possessions.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matt. 6:21 ESV)

No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. (Matt. 6:24 ESV)
​
Why would he start by talking about money, then say a couple of sentences about something entirely different, then start talking about money again? It all makes more sense if we understand that he was talking about money the whole time.

The TOG​
Click to expand...
:goodpost
 
Proverbs 22:9
English Standard Version (ESV)

9 Whoever has a bountiful[a] eye will be blessed,for he shares his bread with the poor.

Footnotes:
  1. Proverbs 22:9 Hebrew good
 
Of course you can read the next verse for the "tight fisted" passage about penny-pinchers.

Oh to be good-hearted though.
 
Do not eat the bread of a man who is stingy;do not desire his delicacies (Prov. 23:6 ESV)​

Footnote:
b. Hebrew whose eye is evil

The TOG​
 
Kathi said:
What does Matthew 6:22-23 mean to you?
22 “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
Click to expand...
The light is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit living inside of our purchased body that is now the Temple of the Holy Spirit (John 8:12 - 1 Corinthians 6:20). The light comes with a life time warranty. To operate the light you must read Matthew 6:33 - It says, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."

"The priority of the Kingdom" is imperative. Because if you miss what's first it doesn't matter what else you do. You've lost the foundation. "Seek Ye First" gives you light from God, so that you know which way to go, which way to turn, which way to move, which way to act, which way to think, which way to walk, which way to talk, which way to relate. You know what to do because the light is shining. You lose that perspective, no wonder you're running into things, tripping over things, falling over things, because that which is light is now dark and you can't see.
 
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