Shed a Little Light?

 "If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!"

I have puzzled for some time over Matthew 6:22,23. It says, "The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if
your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, you whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!"

In particular I have puzzled and pondered that last sentence..."if then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!" I finally asked the Lord for some light on the subject. Why wait so long? Sheesh!

Slowly an understanding bubbled up within me. "If your eye is healthy"... if you focus on the things of God, letting them nurture you and you let your heart break over the things that break His heart, if you love the things He loves, if you run hard after Him to know His ways then wisdom, goodness, kindness, justice and mercy will inform your understanding and drive your motivations and all you think, say and do. "...your whole body will be full of light."

"If your eye is bad"...if you focus on the deeds and things of darkness, if you focus your eyes on gratuitous violence, smutty or pornographic literature, stuff of the occult, death and other such things, then deeds of darkness will inform your speech, your behavior, values, your understanding and drive your motivations. "...your whole body will be full of darkness."

If darkness is what informs your understanding and drives your motivations then how great is the darkness because it is both internal and external. It is profound darkness. You will not understand the impact of your words and deeds. You will not see where you are headed. So, when the enemy ambushes you, beats you up and leaves you for dead you will not know what hit you. Sadly, you will probably rail at God "Where were you when I needed You?"

Knowing how complex and multi-layerd the Lord is I am sure that this is only a beginning understanding of this verse. I would love to hear what various ones see, hear and understand about the verse. I can sense the depth; there is more beneath the surface, but I don't know what all is down there. Hidden treasures for sure. What gems have you found?

Still pondering, Carol

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