Matthew 6:23 - Printer Friendly

ESV: but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

NIV: 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!

NASB: But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. So if the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

CSB: But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. So if the light within you is darkness, how deep is that darkness!

NLT: But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!

KJV: But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!

NKJV: But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

In this part of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1–2), Jesus is using sight and blindness—light and darkness—as a metaphor to illustrate his teaching on stockpiling treasure in heaven. In keeping with the theme of chapter 5, this involves making right choices out of sincere devotion to God. In this specific teaching, He has warned against storing up treasure on earth, rather than treasure in heaven. Unhealthy reliance on worldly wealth reflects greed; God, not the world, ultimately provides what we need (Matthew 6:19–21).

Jesus has just noted that the eye is the lamp of the body (Matthew 6:22). A healthy eye perceives light and transmits that information to the body. In a poetic sense, a functioning eye floods the body with light. Light allows a person to see and operate in the world according to what is true (Proverbs 4:18–19; Matthew 4:16; 5:13; John 8:12; 2 Corinthians 4:6).

Here, He adds the counterpoint to His metaphor. An eye that is bad—one that is blind or injured—lets no light into the body. This is true both spiritually and physically. The inner part of the person remains cloaked in darkness, and it is a powerful darkness.

What makes the "spiritual" eye blind or unhealthy? In the context of Jesus' metaphor, serving money instead of serving God causes a person's spiritual eyes to be blind. That wrong priority is like a cataract that blocks light—it's a spiritual flaw that interferes with truth. This results in inner darkness. Serving God by making right choices and storing up "treasure" or rewards in heaven is like having a good eye, flooding a person's inner world with the light of God's righteousness.

Matthew 6:19–24 contains Jesus' perspective on money and its place in the hearts of God's people. This flows directly from His teaching that inner thoughts and motivations are part of righteousness. God, and His will, are what matter, not the opinions of other people. Here, Jesus tells the crowds not to stockpile temporary treasure on earth. Rather, they should be working towards godly goals—''storing up'' rewards in heaven with choices driven by sincere devotion to God. Where we place our treasure indicates the real priority of our hearts. Those who live for worldly wealth live in inner darkness. Only one thing can be truly primary in a person's life. Each person must choose whether to serve God, or their own selfish interests.

The Sermon on the Mount continues in chapter 6, which is entirely composed of the words of Christ. Jesus teaches that God rewards deeds motivated by sincere devotion to Him, not by approval from other people. He teaches a simple and authentic model prayer. Christ warns against stockpiling money and possessions on earth. Instead, believers should make choices that store up treasure in heaven. A person's top priority can either be God, or money, but cannot be both. Along with that, Jesus says believers should fight against anxiety about daily needs. The heavenly Father knows what we need. All we need to do is pursue His kingdom and righteousness; He will take care of our needs, one day at a time.

Chapter 5 began Matthew's telling of the Sermon on the Mount. In that passage, Jesus pointed out that thoughts and attitudes are part of righteousness, just as much as actions. In Chapter 6, He explains how good deeds are only righteous when done out of sincere devotion to God, rather than for other people's approval. He also provides a model for prayer. Jesus explains how excessive worry, such as over money, interferes with faith in God. Knowing that God loves us should lead believers to trust Him, not to be anxious. Chapter 6 is one of the few chapters of the New Testament entirely composed of the words of Christ. In chapter 7 Jesus will introduce additional themes such as appropriate judgment, trust in God, and treatment of others.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.