Expert: Phillip Senn - 7/11/2006

Question
GOD BLESS YOU PASTOR,
MY QUESTION: IN LUKE CHAPTER 11 VERSE 34 SAYS: YOUR EYE IS A LAMP FOR YOU BODY.... THE REASON I'M ASKING THIS QUESTION IS BECAUSE I WAS READING ONE OF THE RECENTLY ASKED QUESTION AND THE ANSWER WAS DIFFERENT AND IT STATED THAT MUSIC IS THE WINDOW OF ONE'S SOUL.CAN YOU PLEASE CLARIFY THAT....  

Answer
Ruthy,

Because I am not aware what was said in the other statement, apparently by someone else, I would have a hard time clarifying what they meant.

I can deal with this passage however. In order to properly understand any passage of Scripture, it is necessary to take it in its proper context. The context of this passage actually starts in verse 29 when Jesus told the Pharisees that this was an evil and adulterous (see matthew 12:39) generation. Scripture indicates He perceived this because they sought a sign.

They were using their eye to provide them direction. Jesus speaks of this when He indicates that neither Jonas nor the Quesn of the South were as great as the One that spoke to them now. They would testify against them in the judgement, because the One that speaks to them now is the One they should listen to, just as the Queen of the South and Jonas listened to the Lord (Jonas heard through the Angel of the Lord, and the Queen of the South heard through Solomon).

Jesus was saying to them, you have the Word of the Lord and yet you seek after a sign with the eye.

If the guide (the light) of a person is through the eye, they had better make sure it is a pure (single, not mixed with error) guide. The best guide is the light of the Word of God. When we listen to God, we get pure direction. If what we seek after with our eye, rather than through faith, is evil (mixed with error), our guide will be flawed, and we will follow a wrong direction.

Take heed therefore, that the light (direction) that is in you is pure (simple, not mixed with error) and not evil (impure thoughts that result in impure actions).

This generation was seeking a sign, and not recognizing the authority of God, Who was standing right before them.

When we look to Jesus with our heart through faith, He is our light. When He is our light, we do not hide that light under a bushel, but we place it on a candlestick (lampstand) for others to be guided by that same light. In doing so, we become the light of the world.

I hope this helps to clarify this Scripture for you.

With Love In Christ,
Phillip Senn