Matthew 6:23

Wednesday, 15 January 2025   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! Matthew 6:23   “And if your eye, it may be evil, all your body – it will be benighted. Therefore, if the light, in you it is darkness, the darkness – how much” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus noted that the lamp of the body is the eye. A person with an unblurred eye will have a body full of light. On the contrary, He next says, “And if your eye, it may be evil.”   In this instance, having an evil eye must be the opposite of unblurred, which is the context of the previous verse. Instead of singleness of vision, it would be someone who looks at the world in a twisted or distorted way. From there, that information is then sent into the person with the result that “all your body – it will be benighted.”   The adjective skoteinos is used. It is derived from skotos, darkness. Thus, it is something that has become darkened. The word benighted carries this exact meaning. How can someone who perceives the world with an unfocused (evil) eye be a light to anyone? With evil information coming in, there will only be resulting darkness. As such, Jesus continues with, “Therefore, if the light in you it is darkness.”   The word light is referring to the moral nature. The person’s view of the world is corrupt and evil. It is a morally darkened state that feeds the person. As long as he is feeding on the things of this world, there will only be worldly morals to guide him. An understanding of the ways of God will be marred and imperfect to whatever degree his focus allows. 1 John 1:5 says –   “This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.”   Without a heavenly, God-centered, perspective, there will be a doubling of one’s vision. There will be no singleness, meaning clarity. And the way to obtain a proper understanding of God is found in only one place. In the next chapter, John says, while speaking of Jesus –   “Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining.” 1 John 2:8   Jesus Christ is what allows for clarity of vision concerning God. Without Him, our understanding of God will be imperfect. With darkness as one’s light, Jesus next says, “the darkness – how much!”   Pharaoh had rejected the light of God time and again. He had seen the miracles, signs, and wonders the Lord performed through the hand of Moses. In an attempt to wake him up to the reality of his darkness, the Lord demonstrated just how dark a world without light is –   “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, darkness which may even be felt.’ 22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. 23 They did not see one another; nor did anyone rise from his place for three days. But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.” Exodus 10:21-23   The more one rejects the light of God, the more darkened his state will be. The Lord demonstrated this to Pharaoh, but he refused to acknowledge his own evil eye and turn from it.   Life application: One of the doctrines of Calvinism teaches that man is so corrupt he cannot respond to the gospel without first being regenerated. To justify this, Calvinism teaches that Jesus’ words about being born again in John 3:16 refers to God’s regeneration which then allows a person to understand his corrupt state and turn from it to God through Jesus. Only after this regeneration can he then believe the gospel and be saved.   This is based on a faulty understanding of John 6:44 –   “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.”   The problem with this is that it takes the words of John 6 out of their intended context. John 5 spoke of the word of God, meaning Scripture, being the means of pointing Israel to Jesus. He told them as much –   “For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?” John 5:46, 47   In rejecting this revealed light of God, they were not drawn to the Father. Others knew the word, saw that it pointed to Jesus, and turned to Jesus –   “Philip found Nathanael and said to him, ‘We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.’” John 1:45   The problem with Calvinism is that it dismisses the obvious, meaning that God is drawing man to Himself through Scripture. The amount of darkness in a person is what results in His rejection of what God has set forth. Those who look with clarity of vision will see what is revealed in God’s light and pursue it   The process has nothing to do with being regenerated in order to believe, something the Bible does not teach. The process involves a willingness to look clearly at what God has revealed and then step into that light.   ‘“And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.’ 33 This He said, signifying by what death He would die.” John 12:32, 33   Jesus, as is revealed in Scripture, is the light of God. His cross and resurrection have validated His work. This is what draws men to Him. But they must be willing to believe. Calvinism is a failed theology because it denies the free will nature of man. God in Christ has done the work. It is up to each person to look to the cross and either accept or reject this truth.   Lord God, thank You for Jesus Christ our Lord. He is the Light of the world who allows us to see with singleness of vision. When we look to Him we see all of Your perfection on full display. May we fix our eyes on Jesus all the days of our lives. Amen.