The Eye

Matthew 6:22-24

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 unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If, then, the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

I must have read these verses before. In fact, I must have read them a dozen times or more. I do not recall it. I do not recall having heard a sermon based on these verses. But this time when I read them, they spoke to me. Isn’t that the way it is with our favorite verses? They speak to us with a deeper meaning when we both hear and understand them in our heart, in our mind, and in our world.

Sometimes I have thought that people are like mirrors, and that I receive back what I give. If I am angry, I get an angry reaction. If I am calm, I get a calm or calmer reaction.   Maybe people are more like lamps than mirrors. In either case, I have the ability to shape what is about to happen.  How my eye sees what is before me, whether in light or shadow, affects how I then choose to behave.

So what creates a healthy eye? An eye filled with the light of the Holy Spirit is a Christlike eye that sees what is not visible. It casts light that makes the unseen seen. True vision begins with the heart, is led by the heart, and loves the beloved.

There are many dark and trying circumstances in life. Every day has its challenges. The eye that focuses light and love on these challenges brings hope. It is not about fixing problems. It is about shining a light over what we see and sharing love with those around us. 

I learned a long time ago that I don’t fix other people’s problems. That frustrates me and the people around me. I shine a light that makes their path easier. In my best moments, I illuminate dark corners that bring understanding to myself because I am spirit led. How dark my world is when I allow myself to think I know what others need or focus only on my own wants. It is God’s light that shows the way for us and for others, not mine.

Let us pray. God, give us healthy eyes that cast your light into your world that illuminates your love. May our eyes shine your light and not reflect the world in a mirror image. Allow us to make a righteous path more visible for those we are among. Help us understand that we are followers of your light not the light itself. When we love, it is you that we share, and may we remember this today and always, Amen.

Today’s devotional was written by Jill Pope and read by Greta Smith.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.