The Light of Life

Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas without lights! They have been part of the story of Jesus' birth since the beginning: the light over the manger where the Light of Life was born. That's why the season of joy is marked by lighting candles, decorating trees and houses with lights and putting lights down the walkway in front of a home to guide the way to the warmth within.

But the words Christ spoke about being "full of light" are often misunderstood:

"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. 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 6:22-23.

Modern science has discovered that the eyes are amazing light sensors. They are able to tell the difference between various wave-lengths and amplitude of a light source.  When the tragedy strikes of someone slowly going blind, the last thing they lose is the ability to sense light and darkness.

But Jesus may not be talking about the ability to sense light.  The word he uses for “good” in verse 22 can also mean “single” or “unified”.  I find that very revealing:  Jesus is saying that if your eyes are not singularly focused you can miss the light and live in darkness.  It reminds me of what his brother, James, wrote when he said in chapter one of his short letter that a “double-minded man is unstable.”

Double-vision can give you headaches physically, but spiritually it will leave you in the dark.  Being single-minded and focused on what really matters is the key to living in the light.  Even in this season of joy and light, we can be distracted from the true light and have “split vision”.

Want to correct your spiritual eyesight? Look around this week with a single-minded focus: How can you be the Gift to those you meet?  Look with a target-shooter's precision at your world each day.  Somewhere, several times each day, God will give you the opportunity to Be the Gift.  But you have to be focused on seeing it.

Otherwise… you’ll miss the lights of Christmas and be left in the dark!

Be the Gift!

- Jeff Walling