Thrive Thought: Eyes—Insight into the Body

THRIVE THOUGHT
Eyes: Insight into the Body

“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” – Matthew 6:22-23, NIV

In context, Jesus speaks these words during his sermon on the mount as he teaches on “treasures in heaven” and gives a warning that one can’t serve both God and money. The Bible Project provides insight into the passage: “In the ancient world, the eye was an inner source of light. A person with a ‘genuine and generous’ eye, emits their inner generosity and sincerity. A ‘bad eye’ is a figure of speech for someone who is stingy and greedy.”

As we adopt the mind of Christ, we remember that in God’s kingdom there is no limitation to His resources. We would do well to ask ourselves: Do I believe that? Am I emitting light through generosity or darkness through stinginess?


Source: “The Generous or Greedy Eye.” Sermon on the Mount: Wealth and Worry (Playlist 37). 2024, bibleproject.com.

Erica Smith lives with her husband, J.R., and children Jeremiah and Eva in Fort Wayne, IN. She has spent her career in the financial services industry and is actively involved with Pathway Community Church’s Thrive Ministry.