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HE light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. 23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! (Matthew 6:22-23)
The Light of the body is the eye; and the light of the soul is also the eye of perception. Our brains, like computers, have memory banks that file our thoughts, our sounds, and our sights in various categories. If we program the mind with the beautiful things of God, there is little room left in the brain’s directory for the ugly and perverse. We are what we think. As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he! (see Proverbs 23:7) A may vulgar means of expressing the principle is ‘Garbage in, garbage out!’ Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. (Philippians 4:8)
On the numerous times that I was assigned overseas, I discovered those people who benefited most were those who tried to see the goodness in unfamiliar cultures abroad. Those who only found reasons to criticize ended in misery until transferred back home – and they went away with no happy memories.
It is not always WHAT we see that expresses meaning to us, but HOW we see it. A newly graduated gemologist of only technical expertise may fail to see the total beauty of a cut diamond, but the old jeweler who lacks the technical knowledge of the gemologist may detect beauty that is unseen by the graduate. He holds the stone up to the light, turns it in many ways and is enchanted by the beauty of colored rays emanating from the stone. Both view the same stone, but each have a different appreciation for it.
The way we see Christ is the most important aspect of our heart’s eyes. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.(John 1:14) We see according to what our hearts embrace. To the beloved apostle, the Lord was altogether glorious, but to the wicked among the Jewish people, He was demon-possessed: And many of them said, He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him? (John 10:20)
If we realize that God is Light, and there is no darkness in His presence, we shall see His benefits in all things for Light affords vision – both physical and spiritual. King David loved the Word of God. David proclaimed, O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day. Psalms 119:97 In fact, David loved the Word of the Lord so much as to hide it in his heart: Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. (Psalm 119:11)
We love the House of the Lord so much that we pray that we may dwell there forever at repetition of the 23rdPsalm: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. (Psalm 23:6) Though we have not seen the House of the Lord with our fleshly eyes, we have seen glimpses of it with the eyes of our hearts.
The beauty and majesty of God have scarcely been seen or imagined even without spiritual eyes, but never with the vain-glorious eyes of the carnal body. Only the Holy Spirit could reveal the most blessed vision of His beauty and grace: As it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. (1 Corinthians 2:9-12)
If you lack vision of those beautiful things of God and His Word, pray the prayer of Blind Bartimaeus: Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. 52 And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way. (Mark 10:51-52)
Our faith is the strongest means of opening the eyes to our heart. Bartimaeus was healed in his physical sight, but also in the spiritual. He followed Jesus on the way thereafter.
How about you, my friend?
