Jesus' Facts About Eyes for 9-13 Year Olds

Categories: Sermon on the Mount

• Jesus continues by talking about the inner life of the disciples.
• He has already spoken about the heart; here, he moves to the eye.
• Ancient peoples often thought that light came through the eye.
• This saying has basically two options for interpretation.
• The first, a bodily approach, simply states, “The eye is the lamp of the body.”
• Healthy eyes see light; unhealthy eyes do not. A blind person lives in a world that is dark.
• But more likely, the meaning is not meant to be taken literally, word for word.
• Jesus is using the eye in a similar way that he talks about the heart.
• In this case the “eye” reflects the moral qualities of the person and is a channel to the activities of the body. (Morals relate to values, what’s right and wrong.)
• This section also comes between two sayings that speak to the issue of wealth.
• People can either choose worldly treasures/masters or spiritual ones.
• In this case, Jesus says, “If your eyes are single, your whole body will be full of light.”
• The word “single” is usually translated as either single, simple, or sound. It is not usually associated with the eye.
• The Greek word, however, is haplous, typically translated in other settings as “generous or generosity.”
• The phrasing is very difficult; the words don’t make a lot of sense. But the meaning is pretty clear.
• A single, simple eye expresses the idea of sincerity, truth, purity in heart.
• If it’s single, if it’s healthy, it provides light for the person.
• If it is single and healthy, that person will have spiritual insight to know the true values of life.
• That person will be kind, generous, happy to help others.
• A “single eye” could also describe a person focused on one thing, on doing good.
• “But if your eyes are evil, your whole body will be full of darkness.”
• The word for “evil” is ponerous, a word generally translated as “grudging.”
• The contrast between good eyes and evil ones becomes a reflection of one’s character.
• “Good eyes” are contrasted with “evil eyes.”
• Evil eyes reflect stinginess, not wanting to share.
• That person might also be greedy, dishonest.
• Good-eyed people are the opposite.
• “If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness.”
• Again, this does not refer to anything physical, but to the notion of covetousness, greed, a godless person.
• But, if it’s not single, if it’s evil, that person allows many masters to dictate his/her life.
• One’s whole life will be spent in darkness, in confusion, in groping around.
• This metaphor also has some literal applications.
• The eye can reveal whether one is serving gladly or halfheartedly.
• Coldness, superiority (thinking you’re better than others and looking down on them)—all such things come out through the eye.
• A look of the eye cannot be manufactured, made up, faked. It’s either there, or it isn’t.
• We often hear that today in the phrase, “He couldn’t even look me in the eye.”
• Isn’t it interesting that the eye has one language everywhere?
• These last two examples by Jesus are best summed up by Psalm 119:36-37: “Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word.”