June 12, 2026
“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, 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
I recently spent some time working on and cleaning my daughter’s car. One thing I noticed was that the inside of her windshield had developed a film. After I washed the outside and vacuumed the car, I got out the glass cleaner and some paper towels. I went to work, spraying, wiping, scrubbing, and repeating. It took some time and effort, but eventually, the glass was clean on both sides! It truly changed the view.
One of the longest and most challenging teachings of Jesus is the Sermon on the Mount. This is found in the Gospel of Matthew, chapters 5-7. This teaching contains the Beatitudes, the Lord’s Prayer, and many other memorable verses that shape our understanding of the kingdom of God. This teaching begins as Jesus goes up onto a mountain and sits down. His teachings change the way people see their place in God’s world.
In Matthew 6, Jesus tells the crowd that, “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light.” Jesus knows that what we focus on tends to shape us. If we focus only on negative, pessimistic, and cynical things, we will begin to see the world as a sad and hopeless place. If we look to God, who is the light, we will find that our understanding of the world around us becomes optimistic and hopeful. Where we focus our attention determines our attitude and perception.
Jesus’ teachings were meant to encourage all people to see God in the world. He wanted us to be intentional about our focus. The health of our eyes is connected to our willingness to look at the light of the world. (Matthew 5:14-16) As God’s light enters, we are changed.
Sometimes we need to stop, consider what is in front of us, and work to ensure we are doing all we can to let the light in. When we do, we will not only change the view but also begin to see that we, too, can share the love and light of God with the world, giving our neighbors the hope we all desire.
-Rev. Keith King, Pastor of Worship
