The Light of the Body - Pastor Stacey Shiflett
- Pastor Shiflett
- Aug 24
- 7 min read
The Light of the Body
Matthew 6:22–23
22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
Introduction: The Bible has a lot to say about the eye.
The word EYES is found 478 times
The word EYE is found 94 times
Not to mention the many times we find words like SEE, SEETH, SEEING, WATCH, CONSIDER, BEHOLD, LOOK, LOOKETH and on and on we could do.
The eye is referring to a person’s perception.
The eye, in this case, represents how a person perceives or focuses on things—whether they focus on what is good, pure, and righteous or on things that lead them astray.
"Single" eye: A "single" eye means having a clear, undivided focus. Single: whole
It suggests that if your vision or focus is pure, meaning your intentions, desires, and actions are aligned with goodness and truth, your whole life will be filled with light.
Light symbolizes spiritual clarity, wisdom, and righteousness.
A "single" eye, then, implies a singular, undistracted focus on godly things.
The text verses are simple: our eyes affect our whole body.
Our eyes will determine if our whole body is full of light, or full of darkness.
What you look at will show on your face.
How you look at things will show on your face.
How you look at people will show on your face.
Your Christian life and your testimony will be greatly affected by what you look at and how you look at it.
Tonight, we are going to look at 10 kinds of eyes.
I have broken them down into 3 categories.
I. Eyes that DISTORT – They Corrupt the Vision
These eyes take in the wrong things, and they darken the whole body.
A. Carnal Eyes – Looking at sin
Psalms 101:3 I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.
Matthew 5
27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
Proverbs 23
29 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
30 They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.
31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, [when] it moveth itself aright.
32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
33 Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.
B. Critical Eyes – Looking at faults
Matthew 7
1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.
2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.
C. Conceited Eyes – Looking in pride
Isaiah 5:21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!
Proverbs 30
12 There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.
13 There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up.
D. Contemptible Eyes – Looking with envy
1 Samuel 18
8 And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom?
9 And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.
E. Comparing Eyes – Looking down at others
2 Corinthians 10:12 For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.
F. Covetous Eyes – Looking with greed
Proverbs 27:20 Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.
Proverbs 23
4 Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.
5 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.
Joshua 7
20 And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done:
21 When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.
II. Eyes that DISCERN – They Clarify the Vision
These eyes see what God sees, and they bring light.
A. Compassionate Eyes – Seeing people’s needs
Matthew 9
35 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.
36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.
B. Concerned Eyes – Seeing the lost harvest
John 4
34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.
35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.
Acts 17:16 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.
These are eyes that don’t look away.
They notice hurting souls, broken lives, and a world lost without Christ.
III. Eyes that DIRECT – They Control the Vision
These eyes set the focus and direction of life.
A. Committed Eyes – Fixed on the Lord
Psalms 25:15 Mine eyes are ever toward the LORD; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.
Psalm 123
1 Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens.
2 Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the LORD our God, until that he have mercy upon us.
Proverbs 4
20 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.
21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.
25 Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.
26 Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.
27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.
Hebrews 12
1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
B. Contemplating Eyes – Fixed on eternity
2 Peter 3
· 11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
· 12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
· 13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
· 14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
· Titus 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
These are disciplined eyes—looking unto Jesus, and looking for His return.
They set the believer’s course toward faithfulness, holiness, and hope.
Conclusion:
Eyes that DISTORT fill the body with darkness.
Eyes that DISCERN let in the light of compassion and burden.
Eyes that DIRECT set the believer’s focus on Christ and eternity.
The question is not just “What are you looking at?” but also “How are you looking?”
Are your eyes carnal, critical, conceited, contemptible, comparing, or covetous?
Or are they compassionate, concerned, committed, and contemplating?
Ask God to give you eyes full of light - clear, focused, and fixed on Him.