The Eye is the Lamp of the body

Here is a poem that reflects on the profound truth of that statement, exploring the connection between our spiritual vision and the condition of our entire being.

---

The Lamp of the Body

The eye is not a solitary thing, A lonely window where the sparrows sing. It is the lens,the gateway, and the door, That paints the light or darkness on the floor.

And if that eye should turn from what is good, Averse to truth where righteousness has stood; If it should choose to focus on the ill, And let the shadows have their staring fill…

Then it grows evil—sickly, clouded, pale, And all within begins to faint and fail. For if the light you think you have is night, What terrifying, deep, and endless dark!

The body stumbles, lost within the room, Consumed by shadows,wrapped in endless gloom. The hands will fumble,and the feet will stray, With no true vision to illuminate the way.

For what the eye lets in will fill the soul, And either break the man or make him whole. A generous eye lets in the healing sun, An evil one—the battle is undone.

So let me ask for vision pure and clear, A single focus,banishing all fear. Let not my eye be evil, let it be A lamp aflood with Your own light for me.

Illuminate the window of my heart, And from this inner darkness,bid depart. For only when my eye is fixed on Thee, Can this,my body, walk in light and see.

---

The Scripture at the Heart:

This poem is a meditation on the words of Jesus found in Matthew 6:22-23:

“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!”

In this teaching, Jesus uses the physical eye as a metaphor for our spiritual perception, our focus, and our desires. An "evil" or "unhealthy" eye (a Hebrew idiom for greed, envy, or a stingy spirit) doesn't just mean we see bad things; it means our very source of perception is corrupted. This internal corruption then floods our entire being—our thoughts, actions, and character—with spiritual darkness. The poem explores the consequences of this and the prayer for purified vision.