“The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you [your conscience] is darkness, how great is that darkness!” (Matthew 6:22,23) [Notation from Amplified Bible]

Jesus was talking to the multitude about a key spiritual principle. He is giving the recipe for keeping a clean conscience, a conscience that is open to the Holy Spirit for rich real time fellowship with God.

The subject is money and temporal provisions. If we keep our eye focused on “stuff” our conscience will be darkened so that we cannot enjoy God. Or worse, we may think that we are enjoying God while actually being in darkness. This is not abstract, I have seen many people in this condition. If we keep our eye on the only alternative, which is the Word of God, not only will our needs be met (by the Word), but we will have rich fellowship with God.

In the wake of Jesus' conversation with the Rich Young Ruler (Mark 10:17-31) His disciples asked Him how their needs would be met. He guaranteed them that as they left their former security and turned to Him, that He would provide for their needs, but with persecutions. No one said it was easy to trust the Word, Jesus, as your provider.

Your “lord” is whatever or whoever meets your needs. You will become like your “lord.” Who do you want to be like, Mammon or Jesus?

Larry Chkoreff - December, 2000