MATTHEW 6:22-23
EYE, THE LAMP OF THE BODY
INTRODUCTION
In Matthew 6:22-23, Jesus uses the metaphor of the eye as the lamp of the body to highlight the significant link between our spiritual vision and our overall moral and spiritual well-being. He says, “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light” (Mt 6:22). This means that our eyes, or how we perceive things, influence our inner lives. A “good” eye, which sees clearly and focuses on what is good, fills us with light, symbolizing truth, goodness, and divine understanding. On the other hand, a “bad” eye, which sees poorly or focuses on evil, fills us with darkness, leading to moral and spiritual decline. Jesus’ teaching here highlights the importance of being mindful of what we look at and how we interpret it, ensuring that it aligns with God’s truth and righteousness.
The idea of the eye as the lamp of the body also warns against hypocrisy and deceit. St. Gregory Thaumaturgus, an early Church Father, saw the “single eye” as a symbol of genuine love and integrity, which fills a person with the light of truth. In contrast, the “evil eye” represents false love or hypocrisy, which darkens the soul with deceit and moral blindness. This contrast reflects a broader biblical theme: true spiritual awareness and purity of heart are crucial for living a life that honors God. Jesus’ message in this passage encourages believers to examine themselves, focusing their eyes – and thus their lives – on what is spiritually uplifting and beneficial, rather than on what leads to darkness and sin.
Matthew 6:22 “The lamp of the body is the eye; if your eyes are sound, your whole body will be full of light.”
In the previous verses, Jesus emphasized the metaphorical meaning of the heart in a spiritual sense. When the heart treasures God and His Kingdom, our approach to life differs from those who seek worldly achievements. We become compassionate about the needs of others, like the Good Samaritan, whose view of the injured man differed from that of the priest and the Levite who passed by before him. Jesus then shifts focus from the heart to the eye, offering a similar teaching.
The Eye: A Symbol of Spiritual Vision
Like the heart, the eye holds significant spiritual meaning. The Hebrews viewed the eye as the window to the heart or soul. The eye, representing about 80% of a person’s perception, symbolizes understanding. Before scientific studies of the eye, people believed it was the light of the body that helped see things. The metaphorical meaning of eyesight in the Bible is the gift of understanding spiritual truths.
Deuteronomy 29:3: “The LORD has not given you a heart to understand, or eyes to see, or ears to hear until this day.” Despite physical eyesight, the Israelites lacked spiritual understanding of God’s miracles. Hence, they prayed, “Open my eyes to see clearly the wonders of your law” (Ps 119:18). Turning away from God leads to spiritual darkness, affecting our spiritual destiny. Post-resurrection, Jesus “opened their (disciples’) minds to understand the scriptures” (Lk 24:45). Although they could read or listen to the scriptures, they needed an additional gift to understand them – the eyes of the heart or the eye of understanding (Eph 1:18).
The eye also represents a person’s spiritual or philosophical view. A person with physical eyesight can have a positive or negative understanding depending on their perception. This is why people interpret the same reality differently. Society considers those who practice morality or faith as people of light and those who behave badly as people of darkness.
The Eye as the Lamp of the Body
Jesus compares the eye to a lamp, as people once believed the eye was the doorway to the soul, illuminating spiritual meaning. Babies take weeks or months after birth to see clearly. Similarly, in our spiritual birth, we must be born in the Spirit of God to gain spiritual vision. Jesus told Nicodemus, “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above” (Jh 3:3). Such persons “look not to what is seen but to what is unseen; for what is seen is transitory, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Cor 4:18).
Sound Eyes and Spiritual Light
When Jesus referred to sound or diseased eyes, He meant spiritual vision, not physical eyesight. A blind beggar in Jericho shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!” despite being told to keep quiet (Lk 18:35-39). Though physically blind, he had the spiritual sight to recognize Jesus as the Messiah, unlike those with normal eyesight.
Prov 4:25-27: “Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.” Maintaining a focused spiritual vision aligns with other Biblical teachings. Jesus, the “light of the world” (Jn 8:12), guides believers out of spiritual darkness, leading to a life filled with divine wisdom and grace.
Reflection
As Christians, we are called to cultivate a “sound eye” through faith, prayer, and adherence to Christ’s teachings. By maintaining pure intentions and a single-minded devotion to God, we become receptive to His light and guidance. Jesus calls us to examine the “eye” of our soul—our intentions, thoughts, and focus. When our spiritual sight is clear and directed towards God, we are filled with His light, leading to righteous living. A sound eye represents a life of integrity and holiness, free from the darkness of sin and distraction.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, grant us the grace to keep our spiritual eyes focused on You. Help us to see the world through Your perspective, to discern Your will in our lives, and to be filled with Your divine light. May our hearts and minds be attuned to Your truth, so that we may be beacons of Your love in this world. Through Christ our Lord, Amen.
Matthew 6:23 “But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be in darkness. And if the light in you is darkness, how great will the darkness be.”
In this verse, Jesus emphasizes the importance of spiritual vision and purity. The “eye” symbolizes the soul’s faculty for perceiving moral and spiritual truth. An “unhealthy eye” suggests a corrupt or sinful perspective, leading the whole person into darkness. The Greek term for “unhealthy” here is “ponēros,” which can mean evil, bad, or wicked. Thus, an unhealthy eye indicates a moral corruption that clouds judgment and obscures the divine light. The “light” represents the truth and goodness that come from God. If one’s inner light is actually darkness, it implies profound moral blindness, where even what one considers to be light is, in fact, darkness, showing a deep level of deception and sin.
The Catholic Church teaches that the eye can also represent the intention behind one’s actions. As stated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 2520), “Purity of heart will enable us to see God: it enables us even now to see things according to God.” Therefore, purity of intention and a focus on divine truth are essential for spiritual health and enlightenment.
Jesus wanted his disciples to become the light for those in darkness. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father” (Mt 5:14-16). The light we receive from Jesus and his Church helps us illuminate ourselves and brighten the lives of others in this world of darkness.
The Lamp of the Body is the Eye
Jesus compares the eye (singular) to a lamp, a concept that people in the past understood as the eye being the doorway to the soul, perceiving spiritual meaning. Babies take weeks and even months after birth to see things clearly. Similarly, in our spiritual birth, we must be born in the Spirit of God for our spiritual vision. Jesus said to Nicodemus, “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above” (Jn 3:3). Such persons “look not to what is seen but to what is unseen; for what is seen is transitory, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Cor 4:18).
If Your Eyes Are Sound, Your Whole Body Will Be Full of Light
This statement does not refer to physical eyesight or blindness but to spiritual vision. While Jesus was traveling through Jericho, a blind beggar shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!” When people asked him to keep quiet, he repeated his shouts (Lk 18:35-39). Though physically blind, he had the spiritual sight to understand Jesus as the Messiah, whereas people with normal physical eyesight failed to recognize Jesus as the Christ.
A person with a sound eye means an upright person with the right vision of the world. Such a person would radiate goodness or light from their spiritual eyesight. Conversely, a person with a diseased eye stands for an evil person who causes trouble for themselves and others. Sir Winston Churchill said, “A pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty.” Similarly, a believer sees God’s providence in the trials of life and acts on the promptings of the Holy Spirit that dwells in them. A non-believer would try to understand based on natural law only and lack inner sight.
Paul distinguishes between natural and spiritual persons. Only those who have the Spirit of God within them can understand underlying spiritual realities. “And we speak about them not with words taught by human wisdom, but with words taught by the Spirit, describing spiritual realities in spiritual terms. Now the natural person does not accept what pertains to the Spirit of God, for to him it is foolishness, and he cannot understand it because it is judged spiritually. The spiritual person, however, can judge everything but is not subject to judgment by anyone. For ‘who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to counsel him?’ But we have the mind of Christ” (1 Cor 2:11-16).
Spiritual Eyesight and Light
If the lamp is bright, we can view everything well, but if it is dim or does not light up, we cannot see. This is true of spiritual eyesight. When people saw the miracles of Jesus, they believed in him, but others found fault and rejected his message. Jesus quoted Isaiah to his disciples about those who rejected him: “Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says: ‘You shall indeed hear but not understand, you shall indeed look but never see. Gross is the heart of this people, they will hardly hear with their ears, they have closed their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and be converted, and I heal them.’ ‘But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear’” (Mt 13:13-16). Therefore, looking with the eyes of faith is essential for conversion and eternal salvation.
John the Baptist and John the Evangelist introduced Jesus as the light that illumines the world. “What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. A man named John was sent from God. He came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world” (Jn 1:3-9). Jesus presented himself as the light of the world, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (Jn 8:12).
Moral and Spiritual Vision
Our spiritual or moral views determine our behavior, expressed in our words and deeds. Depending on our positive or negative outlook, we will do good or bad, affecting our whole body. People viewed Jesus and his teachings differently and treated him according to their understanding. The open-minded became followers of Jesus, while the conservatives criticized and crucified him. The Christian community experienced this, especially during the early Church, and still does today in various parts of the world. Those who joined the Church faced persecution for their faith, while enemies persecuted Christians. Paul, once in spiritual darkness, persecuted Christians but became an apostle of the light after receiving it from Christ, eventually suffering and dying for it. Thus, the light or darkness in a person affects their whole life, including body, mind, and activity.
The Danger of Spiritual Darkness
When religious individuals like the Pharisees, Scribes, and Sadducees deviated from the genuine spirit of religion, they ended up in spiritual darkness. Jesus compared this to blind people moving around, hitting obstacles, and falling into ditches. When leaders become corrupt, they cause destruction to their followers. Hence, their spiritual blindness is more dangerous than that of ordinary people. Referring to the Scribes and Pharisees who came from Jerusalem, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. If a blind person leads a blind person, both will fall into a pit” (Mt 15:14). Their spiritual darkness led people away from the light of God. So, Jesus warns, “Take care, then, that the light in you does not become darkness” (Lk 11:35). Instead, he advises illuminating others with the spiritual light received from Jesus like a lamp lit on a lampstand. “No one who lights a lamp hides it away or places it under a bushel basket, but on a lampstand so that those who enter might see the light” (Lk 11:33).
Biblical Cross-References:
1. Proverbs 4:23: “Keep your heart with all vigilance; for from it flow the springs of life.”
– This underscores the importance of a pure heart and intention in guiding one’s life.
2. Matthew 5:8: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
– Purity of heart is directly linked to the ability to perceive God and His truth.
3. Ephesians 5:8: “For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light.”
– As Christians, we are called to live in the light of Christ, rejecting the darkness of sin.
Catholic Teachings:
The Catholic Church emphasizes the need for ongoing conversion and purification of our hearts and minds. Through the sacraments, especially the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we receive the grace to cleanse our spiritual vision. The Eucharist also plays a vital role in maintaining this purity, as it strengthens our union with Christ and illuminates our hearts with His divine presence.
Reflection
As Christians, we are called to examine our spiritual vision regularly. Are our eyes fixed on Christ, or are they drawn to the fleeting pleasures of this world? Let us strive to purify our inner sight, allowing God’s light to illuminate our entire being.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we come before You acknowledging our need for Your light. Cleanse the eyes of our hearts, that we may see clearly Your truth and love. Guide us to seek first Your kingdom and righteousness. Help us to store up treasures in heaven, not on earth, so that our whole being may be filled with Your light. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
CONCLUSION
Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 6:22-23 about the eye being the lamp of the body is a powerful metaphor for our spiritual perception and focus. In the context of His teachings on heavenly treasures and serving God rather than money, Jesus emphasizes the importance of maintaining a “healthy” or “single” eye. This refers to having a clear, undivided focus on God’s kingdom and righteousness. When our spiritual vision is aligned with God’s will, our entire being is filled with light, allowing us to navigate life with wisdom and clarity.
Conversely, an “unhealthy” or “bad” eye represents a distorted spiritual perspective, often clouded by materialism, greed, or divided loyalties. This results in spiritual darkness, affecting our entire life and decision-making process. Jesus warns that if the light within us is actually darkness, the consequences are severe. This teaching calls us to examine our hearts, priorities, and the things we allow to influence our spiritual vision, ensuring that we remain singularly focused on God and His kingdom.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, we thank You for the gift of spiritual sight. Help us to keep our eyes healthy and focused solely on You and Your kingdom. Guard our hearts against the distractions and temptations of this world that can cloud our vision. Fill us with Your light, that we may walk in wisdom and clarity, always seeking first Your righteousness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.