In Matthew 6:22-23, Jesus talks about having a good or healthy eye. I know in photography, having a good eye is very important for putting together an interesting shot. Recently, I learned from the BibleProject that having a “good eye” in Jesus’ time meant you were generous with your resources. Likewise, having a “bad eye” meant you were stingy.
Since your eye is the lamp of your body, Jesus says the best way to fill yourself with light is to be generous. When I think of generosity, I think it’s more than just about money. Spending time with others, listening to them, helping them, and caring for them—this is generosity. Interestingly enough, this is also what it means in Genesis 1-2 to be in God’s image: serving, caring for, and helping others. No surprise that we “light up” when we treat others the way God treats us. It’s like a race car at peak performance. We’re doing what we’re designed to do.
Conversely, when we make things all about us, when we live with a “me-first” attitude and are stingy with our resources, it fills our lives with a kind of darkness that over time can choke the life out of us. One of the things that happened when our first parents rebelled against God was that they became “takers” instead of “givers.” From then on, their lives were filled with fear, deception, power struggles, violence, and murder. I wonder if this is what God meant when he told them they would “surely die” if they took the forbidden fruit. When we are in the image of “us” rather than the image of God, it never turns out well.
In response, Jesus invites us to shift our perspective in terms of what we value. Instead of living in fear-filled darkness, holding tightly onto “our stuff,” Jesus calls us to live confidently in God’s generosity: his love, provision, care, and protection. These are the “treasures in heaven” that are most fully experienced as we reflect God’s generosity toward others.
Reflection:
- Where have you experienced God’s generosity in your life? What was that like?
- Think of a time when you shared yourself or your resources with others. What was that like?
- Where do you find yourself holding tightly onto your stuff? What is it that you’re holding onto?
- What would it be like to release your hold on those things? What would help you begin to let go?