“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” (Mathew 6:22-22)
I’m embarrassed to say that I’ve misunderstood this passage nearly my entire life. My brain interpreted the meaning as best it could. I figured that it meant that we should be careful of what we look at (through our eyes), and if we focus on good (healthy) stuff, our whole body would be full of light, and if we focus on bad (unhealthy) stuff, we would be full of darkness. Makes sense, right?
Wrong ha! Matthew 6:22-23 is sandwiched between two paragraphs in which Jesus is speaking about money and the importance of not elevating wealth to an unhealthy and idolatrous level. So why would Jesus change subjects so quickly to start talking about the eyes and then back to money? Well, He never actually switched subjects.
This is another example in which the meaning of a passage partially gets lost in translation, as the Bible is translated into a new language, but also to another culture. The short answer, Jesus was referencing well-known Hebrew metaphors (wordplay!) about generosity and greed.
So, first for the “good eye,” or healthy eye, phrase. The Hebrew phrase tov ‘ayin literally means “good eye,” but the word “generous” is the most effective interpretation. The idiom is often used to communicate generosity, even in other places of the Bible, such as Proverbs 22:9.
Similarly, the Hebrew phrase ra’ ayin, literally translates to “bad eye,” or unhealthy eye. But it more correctly is interpreted as “selfish” or “stingy.” See Proverbs 22:6 for an example in the Bible in which this phrase was used to describe a selfish/stingy host.
Jesus’ disciples, the audience, and the authors of the New Testament, would have understood these Hebrew phrases in context.
Remember though, He is speaking Greek at the moment (He was preaching the Sermon on the Mount). So in this case, He used the Greek word poneros, meaning bad, to describe the eye, appealing to the Hebrew idiom referenced above. Further, He used the Greek word haplous, meaning good, or healthy, but also with a more specific meaning. This word describes intention, essentially sincerity, a powerful word to harken back to the Hebrew, “good eye” idiom above.
So Hebrew and Greek listeners would have understood and enjoyed this wordplay (who doesn’t like puns?). Generosity fills your body with light. Greed, only darkness.
Now that we understand the full meaning of the metaphor about the eye being the lamp of the body, let’s read the full passage with the proper context:
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!”
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” (Matthew 6:19-24).
Makes way more sense, right? I loved learning this information, seemingly hidden from my eyes in the middle of one of Jesus’ most famous sermons. A reminder, if you ever don’t quite understand a passage in the Bible, ask around or Google it up! The Lord wants us to understand His word fully, every jot and tittle are important (Matthew 5:18)!
Be blessed. If you are interested in reading more about what the Bible says about money, check out Jehovah Jireh, The Lord will Provide.
