The Single Eye

by T.W. Fullerton, Victoria, Australia | Category: General | Apr 1970

The Lord said, "The lamp of thy body is thine eye: when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when it is evil, thy body also is full of darkness" (Luke 11.34). The thought seems to be that that which occupies the eye of man affects the whole body for good or evil. If the eye is controlled

to look upon that which is good and clean and right, the whole body will respond by being "full of light". If, however, the reverse be true, and the eye is permitted to wander and look upon that which is unclean and evil, the whole body likewise responds, with the result that it becomes "full of darkness", having taken on the characteristics of its surroundings. How useless is a child of God in this condition!

The psalmist expressed his determination to avoid this unhappy experience when he said, "I will set no base thing before mine eyes" (Psalm 101.3). Much evil-doing has resulted from what the eye has rested and fed upon.

It is instructive to consider some of those whose lives are recorded on the page of Scripture and to note the result of that which occupied their physical and spiritual sight.

Abraham

In Genesis 12 we read of the call of Abraham. The record is amplified by the words of Stephen, "The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia" (Acts 7.2). This was the first of many visions. Having seen the "God of glory", the eye of faith was enlightened and henceforth Abraham believed the wonderful, promises which were given to him. He looked forward to his descendants inheriting the land of Canaan, while as yet he had no heir. He believed that he would have a son when from all human experiences this appeared to be an impossibility. By faith he saw Isaac raised from the dead although he was prepared to sacrifice him at the command of God. All this was because he had looked upon "the God of glory". He was filled with light from on high and this enabled him to rise to experiences which are impossible to men whose portion is in this life. "He looked for the city which hath the foundations, whose Builder and Maker is God" (Hebrews 11.10).

Moses

Moses saw the glory of the God of Israel, firstly at the burning bush. The glory revealed that day filled him with divine light and equipped him for the mission God had designed for him. He was to carry to Pharaoh Jehovah's command, "Let My people go, that they may serve Me". Then, as the magnitude of the work committed to Moses unfolded, Jehovah granted to him further glimpses of His glory, thus encouraging and enabling His servant to bear with the manners and rebellion of a murmuring people as he led them through the wilderness. Filled with divine light Moses looked forward to the great Prophet and Messiah who was to come. He discerned that his own work was to lead God's people to the land of promise to which one day Messiah would come. The One Moses saw at the burning bush and at Mount Sinai, he continued to see because of the light which filled him: "... for he endured, as seeing Him who is invisible" (Hebrews 11.27).

John

In his Gospel John records, "... we beheld His glory, glory as of the Only Begotten from the Father" (John 1.14). In his first Epistle he writes, ". . that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we beheld, and our hands handled, concerning the Word of life" (1 John 1.1). It was said by the psalmist concerning Messiah, "Grace is poured into Thy lips" (Psalm 45.2), and in the days of His flesh it is recorded that, "words of grace proceeded out of His mouth" (Luke 4.22). He was not only full of grace but also full of truth. This refers to the words He spoke and likewise to the integrity and sincerity of His character. He said in John's hearing, "I am the Light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life" (John 8.12). As John beheld the moral glories of Him who is described as, "the chiefest among ten thousand" (Song of Songs 5.10), the Light of life filled his vision and permeated his whole being. We can discern this in the writings which bear his name. John witnessed the "Cross of shame", saw the Lord in resurrection and beheld Him ascending into heaven. No longer would John's vision be occupied with that which produces darkness within; he was weaned completely from those things which fill the vision of men of the world.

Paul

Saul of Tarsus had his eye fixed on a goal, a place of prominence among the leaders of the Jews. Yet that ambition was the result of darkness within; the god of this world had blinded his eyes. To him Jesus of Nazareth was an impostor, till on the Damascus road his eyes were opened to see the Righteous One and to hear a word from His mouth. The glory revealed to him blinded him to all else. His whole being was flooded with light; darkness fled. His eyes were now focussed on another goal. Men of the world might call him mad, but divine light caused Paul to say, "I count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I suffered the loss of all things" (Philippians 3.8). And he looked forward with glad anticipation to receiving from the Lord, the righteous Judge, the "crown of righteousness" at "that day" (2 Timothy 4.8).

Judas Iscariot

Opportunities of eternal gain were his, but in the "Only Begotten from the Father" he had seen nothing of what John and others had seen. His eye was evil and therefore his whole body was full of darkness. Material gain filled his vision so that the prospect of thirty pieces of silver, easily acquired, captivated his mind. Darkness within, the darkness of hell, led him to sell his Master for a little silver. It was the price of his own soul, for he went out - into eternal darkness.

Demas

Demas was a child of God who had a vision of eternal realities and for a time he was a fellow-worker of the apostle Paul. But the time came when something else attracted him and deflected his vision from the goal set before him. Whatever it was, for the world has many allurements, it caused the light that was in him to become darkness. No longer did he see any attraction in Christ; the ambition to receive the crown of righteousness from the Lord had gone. These solemn words were written by Paul, "Demas forsook me, having loved this present world" (2 Timothy 4.10). The complete story will be unfolded at the Judgement-seat of Christ.

As we ponder the experiences of those to whom we have briefly referred, may their lives sound a message of encouragement or warning according to our needs. It is not ours to have experiences like those of Abraham, Moses, John or Paul. It is not our privilege to have visions, but the Spirit of God will enlighten us from God's Word. We may cry with the psalmist, "Open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law" (Psalm 119.18). There are wondrous things to be learned concerning Himself, concerning God's dwelling place among men, and concerning God's future purposes, when the despised One of earth will be owned as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. But as we learn heavenly and eternal truth let us remember that we must be prepared for misunderstanding, and perhaps ridicule, from the religious world as we attempt to practise what we learn.

In closing, we sound a note of warning. Let us take care what we permit our eyes to look at. Let us beware of the books we read, the television programmes which some children of God permit themselves to view and places of entertainment they choose to visit. There are a thousand and one things by which the god of this age seeks to capture the eyes, minds and souls of those he deceives. He will use these things, if permitted, to attract our eyes and fill us with darkness. Our earnest prayer should be, "Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity, and quicken me in Thy ways" (Psalm 119.37). Spiritual light in the believer is the result of "beholding wondrous things" in the word of God. Spiritual darkness and spiritual poverty are the sure and certain result of "beholding vanity".

T.W. Fullerton, Victoria, Australia | Apr 1970
General