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The “Eyes” Have It
“The light of the body is the eye: If therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light:” Matthew 6:22
The above verse was stated by Jesus in His Sermon on the Mount. Perhaps this is where the old saying “the eyes are the window to the soul” originates. Our eyes tell a lot about our disposition. Sorrow, joy, anger, and even illness can be detected by looking into someone’s eyes. Our eyes can express our thoughts without saying a word. A person will “roll his or her eyes” as an expression of disbelief or disagreement with another’s statement. One will “wink” the eye at someone with whom they agree or as an indication of affirmation or admiration. We stare with our eyes as a sign of incredulity, disapproval, or reprimand. (The latter is known as “the look”). The outward expression of sorrow is displayed by the eyes through weeping. A person who drinks too much alcohol ends up with bloodshot eyes. The eyes of one who has just heard some very happy news will light up “like a Christmas tree”.
What we see with our eyes leads us to perceive with our minds. Our perceptions are based on our beliefs. Our beliefs are based on our knowledge, and our knowledge either comes from our relationship with the Lord, or it is based on our relationship with the world. Our eyes are indeed a window to the soul, a light to our innermost being. Jesus said that if a person’s “eye be single”, his or her “whole body shall be full of light”. What did Jesus mean by the eye being “single”? We know that “single” means “just one”. Webster’s Dictionary also defines “single” as “honest, sincere, and seeing justly”. In scripture, the term “single” is translated from the Greek word “haplous” which means “clear”. Oswald Chambers wrote that “our Lord is using the eye as the symbol of conscience in an individual who has been put right by the Holy Spirit”. Everyone, other than those who suffer physical blindness, is aware of their physical surroundings through their sight.
However, we all also see with what is known as “the mind’s eye”, that is what we picture in our minds that originates with our thought life. Proverbs 23:7 tells us that as a man “thinks in his heart, so is he…”. We see, we think, we act. If our eye be “single”, then our motives for thinking and behaving will be “single”, that is, with one purpose, to serve and honor the Lord. Mr. Chambers also indicated that those who have a “single” motive are those who have been born from above. He went on to write that “The one motive of Jesus is to turn people into children of God, and the one motive of disciples is to glorify Jesus Christ”. It is motive that makes us do the things that we do. The Apostle Paul was an excellent example of one who had a “single eye”, that one all-important motive. He wrote in I Corinthians 2:2, “For I determined not to know any thing among you save (except for) Jesus Christ and Him crucified.”
The love of God permeates every inch of a believer’s spirit. If we have that one purpose to serve, worship, and honor the Lord, our lives will show it in the way that we interact with all with whom we come into contact. Our motives will be pure. No one will need to question our integrity. The term “integrity” is derived from the word “integer” which in math means “a whole number” as opposed to a fraction. We know that a person with integrity has sound moral principles, is honest, sincere, and is always conscientious about doing the right thing, not to impress someone, but because doing the wrong thing is unacceptable. Every believer in Jesus Christ should exhibit exemplary integrity. To have a “single” eye is a mark of a true Christian.