How does Matthew 6:23 define spiritual blindness in our daily lives? The Picture Jesus Paints “ ‘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 6:23) • Jesus treats the eye as the “lamp” of the entire person (v. 22). • A clear, healthy eye lets in light; a “bad” (literally evil, diseased) eye shuts it out. • The closing line snaps our attention to the seriousness: darkness inside a person is not merely dim—“how great” it is. What Makes an Eye “Bad” • A willful refusal to see life through God’s revealed truth. • An outlook dominated by greed, envy, or lust for this world (see Matthew 6:19–21). • A conscience dulled by repeated compromise (1 Timothy 4:2). • A perspective that calls darkness “light” and light “darkness” (Isaiah 5:20). Symptoms of Spiritual Blindness in Everyday Life • Misplaced priorities – Chasing possessions and status while neglecting worship and kingdom service. • Distorted moral vision – Labeling sin as personal preference or “my truth.” • Hardened self-trust – Depending on human wisdom, dismissing prayer and Scripture as optional. • Chronic discontent – Never satisfied, because the heart cannot see the sufficiency of Christ (Colossians 2:10). • Relational darkness – Harboring bitterness or prejudice, excusing it as “just the way I am” (1 John 2:11). The Deep Darkness Jesus Warns About • Darkness spreads: when the “lamp” fails, every corner of life is affected—thoughts, decisions, habits, relationships. • Darkness deceives: we may feel enlightened while actually stumbling (Proverbs 4:19). • Darkness enslaves: the longer we walk in it, the harder it is to recognize the need for light (Ephesians 4:18–19). Keeping the Lamp Clear • Treasure Christ above all; a heart set on Him keeps the eye single-minded (Matthew 6:22). • Feed on the Word; “The unfolding of Your words gives light” (Psalm 119:130). • Walk in fellowship; “If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship” (1 John 1:7). • Submit to the Spirit’s conviction quickly, before shadows take root (John 16:8). |
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