‘The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!’ (Matthew 6:22-23 NIV)
This passage is often used to address lust, leading many of us to guilt and shame, believing our whole body is full of darkness because our eyes are bad. But it might be surprising to find out that Jesus wasn’t talking about lust. Jesus was talking about generosity versus being stingy.
Having a ‘good eye’ is an ancient Hebrew idiom. This phrase, “described when someone ‘looked at others with compassion and had a generous spirit, and gave to others as needed.” 1
Having a ‘good eye’ means you have compassion for others. This is followed with active generosity, whether this whether you express this with time, support, or helping others in practical ways.
Jesus says that if we are generous and compassionate, our whole body is “full of light.” But if we are stingy, greedy, withholding compassion and generosity.
“A generous man (Literally, “A good eye”) will be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.” Proverbs 22:9
In contrast, to have an ‘evil eye’ is to be stingy toward others, and being greedy with money. If we have an ‘evil eye’ we are withholding when we should be generous. If we see someone in need, we have an ‘evil eye’ if we don’t help them.
Lois Tverberg adds, “Having a “good eye” or a “bad eye” also points toward a more fundamental issue—what is your primary motivation? Is your driving concern your own comfort in life, or do you look beyond yourself?” 2
The Bible consistently uses this imagery: a ‘good eye’ sees opportunities to bless, while an ‘evil eye’ looks away in selfishness. Jesus draws on this tradition to call us into a life of light and generosity.
Having a ‘good eye’ should be a lifestyle, always avoiding stinginess, but being generous to others instead. Instead of tipping a bare minimum, someone with a ‘good eye’ will tip well (tipping is lowest on Sundays when Christians go out to eat) because it helps improve their livelihood. Spending time with someone who is struggling or needs a friend; buying someone a meal, taking them shopping for a pair of shoes, helping someone pay their rent are practical examples of having a ‘good eye.’
As a child at the age of twelve, someone saw that I had a need for clothes. This person anonymously delivered a garbage bag full of clothes, leaving them on our porch to find one school morning. I remember trying on the clothes and feeling loved. For the first time, I felt confident in my clothing, all because this person took the time to gather clothing that fit me, expressing compassion and kindness. Where I had felt unworthy of nice clothing before, this person’s ’good eye’ showed me that I had value (beyond nice clothing) and worth.
Jesus says our eyes shape our whole lives. A good eye fills us with light, while an evil eye drags us into darkness. So the question is: Are you looking at others with compassion and responding generously, or are you withholding when you could help?
Leave a Reply