Today we will be exploring the topic of holiness, and how Yeshua uses some idiomatic language of having a good eye or an evil eye to determine our set-apart, or holy behavior. Are we being single-minded, having a "good" eye toward the things of God? If so, this allows us to become set apart and to truly shine for him.
Yeshua stated it this way:
The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! Matthew 6:22-23
The "good" eye implies singleness; unfolded, clear, and unambiguous purpose. We have clear vision when we have a single purpose. There is nothing that can distract us from our primary objective.
In the Sermon on the Mount, this idea of avoiding having an evil eye comes in the immediate context of Yeshua’s admonition that we cannot serve two masters: God and worldly wealth. In this respect, greed and covetous focus on worldly gain will divide up our interests, taking us further away from singleness of purpose within God's kingdom.
When we don’t have clear purpose, we tend to have divided interests among many other things that may not be in our best interest and lead us into wickedness. These secondary objectives cloud our vision and create a darkness that envelops our judgment.
Here are some helpful timestamps of the main ideas in today's episode:
00:57 The general proposition and the "good" eye
02:08 Superstitious concepts of the "evil" eye
04:42 Biblical concepts of the "evil" eye
08:25 The positive aspects of the "good" eye
11:02 Light and darkness throughout the apostles' teachings
16:36 Summary
If you enjoyed this week's podcast, be sure to visit coreofthebible.org to join the conversation through comments or reading daily blog posts on these topics. The Core of the Bible is all about the message of the Bible reduced to its simplest form, that is, the principles of the Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount.
Have questions about today's topic, or comments or insights you would like to share? Perhaps you have found this podcast helpful or encouraging. If so, I would love to hear from you and include listener comments in future episodes, so feel free to email me at coreofthebible@gmail.com.
Thanks for your interest in listening today!
All music in today's episode: Brittle Rille by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3460-brittle-rille
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
MORE INFO:
Visit the blog articles and full podcast archive at: coreofthebible.org
Email questions or comments to Steve at: coreofthebible@gmail.com
MUSIC:
All music in today's episode: "Brittle Rille" by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3460-brittle-rille
