What is the eye?

 

(Photo: Cape Shanck Lighthouse, Mornington Peninsular)

“The light of the body is the eye:
          therefore when thine eye is single,
                    thy whole body also is full of light;
          but when thine eye is evil,
                    thy body also is full of darkness.

Take heed therefore that the light
          which is in thee be not darkness.

If thy whole body therefore be full of light,
          having no part dark,
                    the whole shall be full of light,
                               as when the bright shining of a candle
                               doth give thee light.”
                                                                (Luke 11:34-36)

Have you ever wondered by the eye is such an important organ? I’m not an eye expert, (I am not an optometrist nor do I like studying anything about the eye, based on my past experience studying eye anatomy) but, personally I’ve always thought of the eye to be one of the most amazing organ in the body. Well, you don’t have to look far for an example, reading from this text requires the function of the eyes. About everything that we do throughout the day requires the function of the eye. And I wondered what was so significant about that? well, for me, the eye sets the vision (hence eye relates to vision) of our course.

Jesus puts it this way “the light of the body is the eye: if your eye is single your whole body is full of light”. I wonder how do we go about through this life we are blessed with, to look at both the worldly treasures and at the same time, trying to look at the spiritual treasures? serving the desires of the flesh and at the same time, trying to serve the Lord Almighty.  Paul wrote in his letter to the romans, “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” (Romans 6:16). And we cannot serve two masters, you either love one, or hate the other, there is no such thing as in between.

“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” (Matthew 6:24)

I was the biggest culprit of this, I thought I had it all, I prayed everyday, sing “church” songs everyday, I read His words everyday, I talk about God alot. And at the same time, I would strive for vain glory, I would feed thoughts of pride in me, I would envy, I would try to plan my own life, I would try to do this myself, I would let my flesh reign. Sounds contradictory? I have been living like that for quite awhile. Honestly, I was very cautious, I knew that I was heading the wrong direction, how? I told myself, “Kat, don’t strive for your own self, don’t get into the viscous cycle of life, don’t get entangled by the affairs of this life, don’t get into that rat race, don’t conform to this world” and at times when I was walking in the opposite way of the light, His spirit would teach me and reveal it to me. Yet, every time that happens, I try to “negotiate” with Him, and I try to justify my actions” I did this because….. (for example: if I don’t work hard, if I don’t score perfect, then…, then… or what that person, so this one… so that one…) and it felt “good” to the flesh. My eye was not single. How could I say I serve God? How could I say I did, with the singleness of heart fearing God? Pride overtook my life.

It was amazing how the Lord had to break this vessel so hard, that I realised I had walked so far away in my pride. The eye was evil, I worked for me, I wanted things for me. ME, MYSELF and I was where the center of the world was. Ah how foolish! I became the man of sin thinking I AM GOD, WALK AS GOD, LIVING AS GOD, in who’s life? MY LIFE. vanity, vanity all is but vanity.

“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.” (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4)

Noticed how Jesus puts it, the eye IS … the eye IS … He does not say the eye SEES … the eye SEES … In other word what the eye IS, will determine how the body will be filled. Either in light or either in darkness. And if our eye which is our vision, which is our desire, and our calling, is SINGLE (ONLY AND ONLY); that is, Christ in us the hope of all glory (Colossians 1:27), then this body is full of light. Who is the true light? “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:15). Our body, will then be full of His nature. Hallelujah!

What about the opposite, if the eye IS evil; that is it seeks of her own, seeks of the wicked deeds, seek of the lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh and pride of life, seek to love the system of the world, seeks unrighteousness, the body will be full of darkness. In God there is not darkness, so we will be cut off from Him, if we are not careful. And there is NO MIXTURE in both of them “For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?” (2 Corinthians  6:14). Thank God for His mercies that are new every morning, thank God for His great love that he would chastise me, and break me to see that I need Him so much in my life. To see that, He would resist the proud and give grace to the humble. Thank God for his dealings, and I love the dealings of the Lord, and this reproofing of my heart. Thank God for His spirit, to strengthen me through the race. Hallelujah! Take heed, therefore, that  the light in us is not darkness and having no part dark, shall we be full of light.

It’s been a hectic 7 weeks since I’ve been back to Melbourne for my final semester in this course. It’s been the by far the toughest period of my whole “education journey” and the trials that I’ve shared about above, were mainly related to this.

I would like to leave with a verse, to remind myself when I read this post again.

“Fight the good fight of faith,
          lay hold on eternal life,
                    whereunto thou art also called,
  and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

That thou keep this commandment
          without spot,
                    unrebukeable,
                          until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:

Laying up in store for themselves
          a good foundation against the time to come,
                    that they may lay hold on eternal life.”
                                                        (1 Timothy 12,14, 19)

 

Blessings,

Kathryn