Luke 11
By Pastor Neil
In Chapter 11, Luke begins with the shorter version of “The Lord’s Prayer.” He follows with the parable of the Friend at Midnight and a very interesting exchange with people who accused Him of casting out demons in the name of Beelzebub. He helps them think about the accusation and uses the story of the man who unwisely sweeps out a single demon but leaves his house empty and vulnerable to seven other demons, all worse than the first. In appreciation someone calls out congratulations to Him for what a fine mother he must have had, a woman blessed of God. Jesus tells the crowd that there is something even better than being obedient to your mother is hearing and obeying the word of God!
After a discussion of the “sign of Jonah” Jesus gives a teaching that catches my attention. It is His teaching on “The Lamp of the Body.” It is so simple and, at the same time, profound that I am amazed as I read it once again. The people in the crowd were simple people, poor people, people who had to struggle to be as frugal and careful with their means in order to simply survive. And so speaking of the foolishness of anyone who would light a lamp, full of expensive oil that was essential to have light at night or inside homes that were always rather dark since there were few windows, would be unthinkable. No one in his or her right mind would ever do such a wasteful thing. If you light a lamp, you get all the light from it you can by putting it on a special stand, in a special place so that you get the maximum benefit from its simple light.
From this story Jesus weaves a story of the place that one’s “eye” has with respect to the rest of one’s body. Blindness was not simply an inconvenience in Jesus’ day. It was a cruel disaster to the blind person and his or her family. They had to be cared for and could do little, other than to beg for money in public places in order to help with the family’s daily needs. Those with good eyesight have an ability that makes all the difference. Jesus uses this gift of good vision as a metaphor for what we should allow to illuminate our minds and hearts. Light “chases away the shadows” completely and replaces it with light. And this is what the presence of that which is good and pure and noble will do for our minds and hearts.
I am reminded of a funny little song I used to hear sung on Sesame Street on TV. The words were “that’s about the size, where you put your eyes.” They would show very tight close-ups of familiar items, unrecognizable until you backed up a bit to be able to see clearly what the item was. When your eyes were too close, you couldn’t tell what it was. But when you got it in focus and in range, then you knew what it was. In the same way, Jesus is showing us that we are responsible for what is going into our bodies, our minds, and hearts. What we spend our time looking at or “savoring” will have a huge impact on us. Let me encourage you today to think about what it is that you put your eyes on and the effect it has on your Christian life. TV, movies, the internet, and a myriad of other things with the potential to bring “darkness” into us are a constant threat. Jesus says “see to it” that you bring in the light (Christ) and not the darkness (sin). Translate this story into your own life today and “see to it” that you take responsibility for what is coming in! You can do this and the Holy Spirit wants to help you!
