Luke 11:34-36 begins with the physical human eye. Consider what your eyes actually do. They perceive patterns of light and dark, then send information to the brain. The brain is the physical vehicle for the mind. In other words, your brain is owned and operated by your mind, and as I hope you recall, mind and spirit are one and the same. It stands to reason that our spirits are affected by the physical eye. How our spirits are so affected is a matter of personal choice.
This is what Jesus said: “The light of the body is the eye.” Obviously, light does not enter physically into the body; the eye is more like a window into the world around us, allowing our bodies to better navigate. This access is via the mind. Jesus was keen to qualify that statement with this warning: “Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness.” Again, it is shown that the information we send to our spirits is purely a matter of choice.
It is interesting to note the two opposing eye actions as put forth by Jesus. The eye is either 'single' or 'evil'. One would assume the opposite of evil to be 'righteous' or at least 'good', but that is not the case. To get a clear picture of what Jesus means here, we must fully understand the application of the word 'single'. Most of us have two eyes, so, what's the exact application here? What is a single eye as regards the mind, or spirit?
When a marksman looks down the sights of his gun, when he takes a bead on his target through his scope, he closes one eye. He narrows his field of vision to lessen the input of distracting information. In a word, he 'focuses' on one thing. He concentrates his attention and effort on what he deems most important. It follows, then, that the meaning of the word 'evil' as an opposite to the word 'single' would be the opposite of concepts such as focus, concentration, and singular importance.
What we end up with is a singular window on the world as opposed to multitudinous windows on the world. To esteem a thing as important, in actual practice, sets that thing above other things. The opposite of this – to hold all things at the same level, ascribes importance to nothing, and is the practical application of the word 'profane'. The choice of information we pump into our spirits affects our ability to navigate both physically and spiritually.
Then, there are the applications of 'light' and 'dark'. Jesus made these distinctions: “Therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness. If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light.” Note that Jesus is not repeating himself here. 'Thy whole body' and 'the whole' are two separate concepts.
'Having no part dark' necessarily presumes that there are, indeed, parts. I would hazard there are only two main parts we must consider – the spiritual part and the physical part. Under these two headings may be listed the likes of mental parts, emotional parts, etc. The meaning we may derive from this is simple: focus on one important thing. Having too many windows on the world may be equal to not seeing the tree for the forest.
Choosing wisely is the wisest choice. Anyone who seeks a goal must, first of all, be able to focus on it. If the oak is hidden behind a multitude of pine, the acorn is lost. All information from the eye is filtered through the spirit, and while we may have ample light to navigate this physical world, what choices have we made that will help us navigate the spiritual realm once our bodies fail us?
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