THE IMPERISHABLE RICHES OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD PART TWO

 

Matt 6:19-24

 

What do we know about light? 

From a secular standpoint “Light” defined as “the natural agent that stimulates sight and makes things visible, that makes vision possible the sensation aroused by stimulation of the visual receptors. From secular research “Light” plays a major part in human health. “The body's hormonal reaction to wavelengths of light is what regulates our daily rhythm, or biological clock, which affects our reasoning, blood pressure, immune system, metabolism, and controls our sleep/wake cycle.” What we learn from a secular perspective is that light is important.

 

The Bible extends the definition of light to something greater than just revealing light for us to see and how we respond. Light in the Bible is…..

 

Created by God…..”Then God said, “Let there be light” Gen 1:3

 

White and pure…… “His cloths became as white as the light.” Matt 17:2

 

Bright, useful and pleasant….. “light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to behold the sun.” Eccl 11:7

 

Exposes Good and Bad…… “But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light” Eph 5:13

 

Light in the Bible illustrates…..

 

The glory of God….”who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.”  I Tim 6:16

 

The purity of God…. “God is light and in Him is no darkness.” 1 John 1:5

 

The wisdom of God….. “He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in darkness.” Dan 2:22

The glory of Christ…..”His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.” Matt 17:2

 

The guidance of God…. “In Your light we see light.” Psalm 36:9

 

The word of God…. “The entrance of Your words give light; it gives understanding to the simple.” Psalm 119:130

 

The gospel….. “In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” 2 Cor 4:4

 

What do we know

about darkness?

 

From a secular perspective “darkness” is defined this way, “The complete (or partial) absence of light is darkness. Obscurity; concealment, lack of knowledge or enlightenment, lack of sight; blindness.”

 

One secular writer wrote this about darkness. “In the cold, short days of winter, the darkness outside seems to correlate with a darkened mood within us; it’s an observation that goes back at least as far as Hippocrates. Modern science has shown that January and February are the hardest months of the year for the 6% of Americans who suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD), with symptoms including poor concentration, oversleeping, feelings of worthlessness, and weight gain. But darkness can affect us all, and in surprising ways. Science suggests that darkness can do all kinds of things to the human body and brain: It can make us more likely to lie and cheat, make mistakes at work, and even see things we don’t normally see.”

 

From the Smithsonian Institute wrote “Insufficient amounts of vitamin D can trigger ailments such as rickets, a weakening of the bones that can cause skeletal deformities and dental issues. Vitamin D deficiency can also lead to the cu-ta-neous form of tuberculosis, which causes painful lesions. One recent study even associated deficiency of the vitamin with an increased risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease in older people.”

How does the Bible define

Darkness and its effects?

 

Darkness is….

 

Created by God….. “You make darkness” Psalm 104:20

Darkness is……

 

Separated from the light….. “God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.” Gen 1:4-5

 

It’s thick and dense…. “A day of darkness and gloominess, a day of cloud, and thick darkness.” Joel 2:2

Outer or extreme… “the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matt 8:12

 

Darkness effects….. 

Keeps us from seeing objects…. Exodus 10:23

Causes us to go astray…..1 John 2:11

Causes us to stumble…..“We grope for the wall like a blind man. And we grope as if we have no eyes.” Isaiah 59:10

Darkness illustrates…..

 

The greatness and unsearchableness of God…..Exo 20:21

Ignorance and error….John 12:35

Anything hateful & Sinful…. “who forsake the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness,” Prov 2:13

The grave…..“To the land of darkness and shadow of death.” Job 10:21-22

 

A place of judgement/punishment for devils and rebellious sinners…..”Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'” Matt 22:13

 

There is so much more we can say that the bible speaks of in reference to these words. What is before us this morning is “one of childlike simplicity.” The basic truth is not difficult to understand as we approach this passage. “Light represents Good, where darkness represents Evil.” What Jesus is teaching here is that the child of God is to be pursuing the Light. Why? Jesus knows a little bit about light/darkness and the human heart. “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God." John 3:17-21. This is a very powerful statement that Jesus is making here. Light exposes our heart to the truth of God’s word. The Light, meaning Jesus… exposes our heart to our vileness and separation from a holy God because of sin. And those who love their sin will run away from the light, because they love their sin more than God. Robert Murray McCheyne “The nearer you take anything to the light, the darker its spots will appear; and the nearer you live to God, the more you will see your own utter vileness.”

 

So what is Jesus teaching in this

portion of His sermon?

 

1. We Are To Single-Minded & Single-Focused. (v22)

 

Jesus says “The eye is the source of light for us.” The heart is the eye of the soul, through which all things spiritual shine through. The eye is what lets light into our bodies. It’s through the heart that God’s truth, love, peace, understanding of grace and every other blessing comes to us.

What Jesus is saying is this, “When our hearts, our spiritual eyes are clear, then our whole body will be full of light.” A great example of this is when Jesus gently rebuked Peter for his misunderstanding of what Jesus as saying. “Jesus answered him, "What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand." Peter said to him, "You shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no share with me." Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!" Jesus said to him, "The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you." For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, "Not all of you are clean." John 13:7-11

 

What Peter didn’t realize is that… through Christ and the gospel we are already clean, that’s what separates the sanctified from the lost. What Peter didn’t realize is that he was being “single-minded” and was completely devoted to Christ. Peter expressed his devoted wish that his whole soul might be made pure by the work of Christ. We sometimes laugh at Peter and say all kinds of things about his eagerness and bad choices.

 

But! Peter is a prime example of a true Christian who desires to be cleansed from all sin. He wishes not merely that one evil predisposition should be removed, but all; that every thought should be brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. We would call this “healthy, single-minded devotion” In the ESV the word “healthy” (v22), would be better translated “clear” which gives the meaning of single. An eye that is clear represents a heart that has single-minded devotion.

R C Sproul said “Our eyes are what open the

vista of the world to us.”

 

J C Ryle wrote “Singleness of purpose is one great

secret of spiritual prosperity”

 

Jesus talked about “a clear, healthy, singleness of mind” throughout His ministry. Jesus said “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Matt 10:34-39

 

Christ must be loved supremely, or He is not loved at all. If we are not willing to give up all earthly possessions, and forsake all earthly friends. If we do not obey Him rather than all others, we have no true attachment, single-mindedness to Him.

 

This is what separates the light

from the darkness.

 

One Theologian wrote “The good (healthy) eye is one whose focus is fixed on God and whose vision is not blurred by focusing on two objects at the same time, God and possessions.”

 

The single-minded eye is fixed on God It’s unwavering, constant; it’s a fixed gaze towards the hope and promises in Christ and the gospel. It’s single-minded towards Kingdom values and we live our lives characterized by those truths found in Scripture. Paul said we are to be single-minded as he reminds the church “For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that One has died for all, therefore all have died; and He died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for Him who for their sake died and was raised.” 2 Cor 5:14-15

 

We are to be as it is written in Proverb 22:29 “Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.”

 

He will have the honor and devotion to serve the King….dedicated and single-minded devotion. A healthy eye as Jesus says here will be a fixed and healthy soul. A good eye indicates commitment, generous, loving, full of integrity, and spiritually understands; as they seeks after God. An evil eye indicates selfishness, materialistic, greedy a desire for self and to please self over others and is spiritually blind.

 

2. We Are To Be On Guard Against Self-Deception (v23)

 

If your eye is bad, Jesus said “Your whole body will be full of darkness.” Jesus gives the opposite or apposing truth to a healthy eye. If your perspective on life, your priorities; if what you truly value as your “Above all” is not centered in Christ, you will not see things clearly. It’s the darkness that is misleading and misguiding you. “Bad” usually means “evil” this word is often used to describes “evil eye” a Hebrew expression for “grudging or stingy and ungenerous heart.”

 

We see this expression when Moses said “Take care lest there be an unworthy thought in your heart and you say, 'The seventh year, the year of release is near,' and your eye look grudgingly on your poor brother, and you give him nothing, and he cry to the LORD against you, and you be guilty of sin.” Deut 15:9

What Moses is saying is “Beware that you do not harbor an unlawful thought in your heart…and your eye becomes evil (ungenerous) towards your brother who is need.” Why? Because your eye is the source of light and it must be able to see clearly.

 

If the eye is diseased the body will be full of darkness

and unable to function properly.

As Commentator wrote “It is a well-known fact that lack of sufficient light from the sun, moon, stars, lamps, etc., make it difficult to see things. Yet, a sound eye quickly adjusts to the darkness. But if the eye itself, the very organ of light, is poor condition, the darkness will be great indeed.”

 

If our eyes are fixed on other things as “Above all” the light will be absurd because the darkness is thick and dense. Because we are filling our lives with things that are transient, and not eternal. The eye is what guides the mind to brighten our inner life, which guides us morally and spiritually to the Father. If we are seeking after pleasures and treasures our eye can become easily darkened. In Prov 28:22 we read these words “A stingy man hastens after wealth and does not know that poverty will come upon him.” It’s used in the same way in Prov 23:6-7 “Do not eat the bread of a man who is stingy; do not desire his delicacies, for he is like one who is inwardly calculating. “Eat and drink!" he says to you, but his heart is not with you.”

What does this mean?

 

You/we, are never eat with a covetous or stingy man; if he entertains you at his own expense, he grudges every morsel you put in your mouth. The bible warns against it because this will reveals the heart condition of that person as Jesus says here in (v23). The eye that is bad is the heart that is selfishly indulgent. And how great is that darkness! (v23b)

 

That’s the danger! Because! Your perspective on life, your priorities, and what is truly valuable and important to you, will be misdirected.” You will not see things as you they truly are. You will see but wrongly. So Jesus concludes with a with this “How deep in that darkness” (v23b) If you pull all the blinds down and shut the curtains in your home; and leave them down…..what a dark life you will live.  Thinking that this is the right way to find comfort and shelter, but really all your doing is deceiving yourself, that darkness brings comfort. But in reality it leads to worse things and produces in you the inability to see clearly which then leads to deception, because you do not recognizes the true light.

 

In other words! If Christ forbids trusting in earthly treasures for security, yet you do it any ways then the teachings you failed to obey…. become darkness. It’s an “intense form of spiritual blindness” as William MacDonald said. Jesus desires that we have an unwavering loyalty to the Kingdom and not this world system. It’s this type of healthy eye that God wants from all of us.

 

It’s a life devoted to Him

and the gospel.

The way we look at…. money, use our money, what we devote the most time to, will be the barometer to determine our spiritual condition. The good eye belongs to the person who motives are pure, who is single desire for God’s interests and submits to Christ and His truth for their lives. They forsake earthly riches and they lay up treasures in heaven where Christ is seated. The bad eye belongs to the person who is trying to live for two worlds. They don’t want to let go of earthy treasures, yet they want treasures in heaven too. And unfortunately they lack clear guidance since he/she is full of darkness.

 

And as James Boice said “If you are absorbed with money you

will miss everything else in life that really matters.”

 

Let our motto be “One thing I do” as Paul said “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained. Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.” Phil 3:13-17. It was Paul’s constant and earnest pursuit. This was Paul’s  single-eye, the principal thing he was set upon, and which he engrossed all his thoughts, desires, affections, time, and labour. May our “One thing” be single-minded pursuing the Kingdom and filled with light to see ever so clearly?