The lamp of the body is the eye (Luke 11:34)

Regarding the lamp, Proverbs 20:27 tells us “The spirit of a man is the lamp of the LORD, searching all the inner depths of his heart.” Verse 34 of Luke continues with “Therefore, when your eye is clear, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is evil, your body also is full of darkness. Various Greek lexicons say of “clear,” that it means “simple, single (nothing complicated or confused); sound, healthy; generous; sincere, morally whole, faithful.” The Amplified Bible adds “[spiritually perceptive, focused on God].” Of “being full of light it adds “[benefiting from God’s precepts],” of evil it adds “[spiritually blind],” and of “full of darkness” it adds “[devoid of God’s word].” It is also noteworthy that the word for evil is “poneros,” which is often translated “sexually immoral.”

Note that there is no middle ground here. Luke 11:36 talks about “having no part dark.” I like the illustration that if you add a thimbleful of fine old scotch to a barrel of sewage it stays sewage. But if you add a thimbleful of sewage to a barrel of fine old scotch, it becomes sewage.” And if there was ever a time when the people of God should come out of compromise, it is now! The Bible talks about those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light, and light for darkness (Isaiah 5:20). Such people are wise in their own eyes (verse 21), but they are in darkness. Some say the coronavirus is God's judgement (which I dispute). Other say it is Satan's rage because the time is near for the second coming of our Lord. I am more and more certain that this is the case, but in any case it is certainly the time for those of us who say we love Him to humble ourselves, pray, seek His face and repent (2 Chronicles 7:14 again). In this way we will shine as lights in the darkness (Philippians 2:15).

Since “generous” is part of the meaning of the meaning of “clear” in 11:34, the following verse stood out to me when I searched “light and darkness” together. “If you extend your soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul, then your light shall dawn in the darkness, and your darkness shall be as the noonday (Isaiah 58:10). In other words our repentance while it certainly needs to include personal holiness, it needs to extend to practical expressions of help to this wicked and hurting world. Generosity will be especially important in the likely coming financial difficulties. But also those of us who have been in the faith for sometime will need to be fathers and mothers to those in the coming prophesied revival. And since the apple does not fall far from the tree (Exodus 20:5) we need to be a shining example of love, purity, generosity and grace!

Father, at this time when You are calling Your people both individually and corporately into repentance, please give us grace to let these trials and difficulties refine us. Lord I want to come forth like gold (Job 23:10), and I want to be Your ambassador. We need Your love and grace and peace, I do Lord. And we are asking for a double portion of these things so that we can be all that You call us to be at this time. And we ask these things for Your Kingdom and Your glory in Jesus Name Amen