Lesson#10

THE PARABLES OF JESUS CHRIST
LESSON #10
THE PARABLE OF SINGLE AND EVIL EYES (MAT 6:22-24)

• MEMORY VERSE: JAM 1:2

• THE PARABLE OF SINGLE AND EVIL EYES (MAT 6:22-24)
• READ MAT 6:19-34 FOR BACKGROUND.
• THE AUDIENCE IS THE DISCIPLES BECAUSE THIS SCRIPTURE IS STILL PART OF THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT. IT IS, THEREFORE, A PARABLE THAT TELLS US HOW TO LIVE THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
• WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THE PARABLE?
• THE BELIEVER SHOULD HAVE A SINGLE FOCUS TO HIS LIFE THAT UNDERLIES EVERY MOTIVE AND ACTION.
• PAUL IS A GOOD EXAMPLE IN PHI 3:13-14
• PAUL’S EXAMPLE OF RUNNING A RACE:
• EVERYONE PARTICIPATING IN THE GREEK GAMES HAD TO BE A FREEBORN GREEK. EACH PARTICIPANT WENT INTO STRICT TRAINING FOR WHICH THE GREEK WORD IS “agonizomai” FROM WHICH WE GET THE ENGLISH WORD, AGONY. IT WAS A TECHNICAL TERM FOR GETTING INTO SHAPE SO AS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE GAMES. AFTER LOCAL ELIMINATION TRIALS, THE ATHLETES SUBMITTED FOR 10 MONTHS TO RIGOROUS TRAINING UNDER PROFESSIONAL TRAINERS, AFTER BEING EXAMINED BY OFFICIALS, AND AFTER TAKING AN OATH THAT THEY WOULD OBEY ALL THE RULES. IF AN ATHLETE LEFT THE GYM ONCE IN 10 MONTHS, HE WAS DISQUALIFIED. IF A PERSON WAS CAUGHT VIOLATING A STRICT DIET, HE WS DISQUALIFIED. THERE WERE 2 TRUMPET CALLS: ONE A WARNING, AND ONE TO CALL THE ATHLETES TO THE EXERCISE SQUARE. IF AN ATHLETE MISSED ONE TRUMPET CALL IN 10 MONTHS, HE WAS DISQUALIFIED. THEY TRAINED AND COMPETED NAKED REGARDLESS OF THE WEATHER. THEY COMPETED FOR A PERISHABLE CROWN OF LAUREL LEAVES, RECOGNITION, POSITION, AND HONOR. THE ATHLETE WAS ALWAYS FOCUSED ON THE GOAL.
• WHAT DOES JESUS MEAN BY, “THE LAMP OF THE BODY IS THE EYE”? (22)
• THE EYE IS NOT THE LIGHT OF THE BODY BUT IT IS THE LAMP.
• THE EYE IS THE MEANS BY WHICH WE INTERPRET AND APPLY LIGHT.
• WHAT DOES JESUS MEAN BY THE WHOLE BODY BEING FULL OF LIGHT BECAUSE OF A HEALTHY (SINGLE) EYE? (22)
• IN THE HEALTHY EYE, RAYS OF LIGHT PASS THROUGH THE EYE BENDING TOWARD EACH OTHER AND COMING TO A POINT EXACTLY ON THE RETINA. THE IMAGE PROJECTED ON THE RETINA IS UPSIDE DOWN. IT IS THE BRAIN THAT TURNS THE IMAGE RIGHT SIDE UP. THIS PERSON THEN SEES CLEARLY.
• THE SPOT ON THE RETINA WHERE THE OPTIC NERVE LEAVES THE EYE TO TAKE THE IMAGE TO THE BRAIN IS CALLED “THE BLIND SPOT”. THIS BLIND SPOT HAS NO ABILITY TO SEE.
• THE EYE REGULATES THE MOTIONS OF THE BODY.
• IF OUR EYE ACCURATELY DISCERNS OUR ENVIRONMENT, THEN WE CAN MOVE ACCURATELY IN THAT ENVIRONMENT.
• IF OUR EYE DOES NOT ACCURATELY DISCERN OUR ENVIRONMENT, WE WILL MAKE ERRORS IN JUDGMENT.
• THERE IS SUCH A THING AS A FAULTY EYE.
• THE GREEK WORD, SINGLE, IS “haplous” WHICH MEANS GENEROUS; SINGLE-FOLDED, OR WITHOUT A FOLD, OR AS IT IS APPLIED TO THE EYE, IT IS AN EYE WITHOUT COMPLICATIONS.
• SOME OF THE COMMON EYE COMPLICATIONS OR DEFECTS THAT ARE CORRECTED BY GLASSES ARE:
• NEARSIGHTEDNESS
• THE ABILITY TO SEE CLEARLY ONLY AT A SHORT DISTANCE BECAUSE THE RAYS OF LIGHT DO NOT MEET ON THE RETINA BUT MEET IN FRONT OF THE RETINA. THE CAUSE IS THAT THE EYEBALL IS TOO LONG.
• FARSIGHTEDNESS
• THE ABILITY TO SEE CLEARLY ONLY AT A FAR DISTANCE BECAUSE THE RAYS OF LIGHT DO NOT MEET ON THE RETINA BUT MEET IN BACK OF THE RETINA. THE CAUSE IS THAT THE EYEBALL IS TOO SHORT.
• ASTIGMATISM
• THE INABILITY TO SEE CLEARLY AT ANY DISTANCE BECAUSE PARALLEL RAYS OF LIGHT DO NOT CONVERGE AT A SINGLE SPOT AT THE CENTER OF THE RETINA BUT AT AN ANGLE. THE CAUSE IS THAT THE SHAPE OF THE EYEBALL IS DISTORTED.
• THE EYE WITH ASTIGMATISM IS AN EYE WITH A FOLD, WHICH CAUSES THE PERSON TO SEE DOUBLE OR BLURRED.
• THE CHRISTIAN’S LIFE SHOULD HAVE A SINGLE FOCUS.
• THE CHRISTIAN SHOULD HAVE A SPIRITUALLY HEALTHY EYE.
• IN OTHER WORDS, THE CHRISTIAN DOES NOT HAVE ANY SPIRITUAL NEARSIGHTEDNESS, SPIRITUAL FARSIGHTEDNESS, OR SPIRITUAL ASTIGMATISM.
• BECAUSE CHRISTIANS ARE HUMAN, LIVING IN A PHYSICAL WORLD, WE HAVE A PERSPECTIVE THAT IS OPPOSITE FROM THAT OF GOD’S KINGDOM. IT IS LIKE WE SEE THINGS UPSIDE DOWN.
• FOR EXAMPLE: THE BIBLE SAYS GIVE AND IT SHALL BE GIVEN UNTO YOU. BUT THE WORLD SYSTEM SAYS, TAKE ALL YOU CAN GET. BECAUSE WE ARE HUMAN, WE ARE USED TO SEEING SPIRITUAL THINGS UPSIDE DOWN. WE THINK THEY ARE RIGHT SIDE UP. ONLY THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT IN OUR LIVES CAN WE SEE OR PERCEIVE TRUTH RIGHT SIDE UP ACCORDING TO THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
• WITH A HEALTHY, SINGLE SPIRITUAL FOCUS, THE CHRISTIAN HAS EVERYTHING IN RIGHT PERSPECTIVE (RIGHT SIDE UP).
• HIS PRIORITIES, HIS DECISIONS, HIS MOTIVES ARE ALL UNDER THE SINGLE GUIDANCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, WITHOUT ANY WORLDLY DISTRACTIONS THAT TAKE HIS FOCUS AWAY FROM CHRIST AND BLUR HIS PURPOSE IN LIFE.
• THE ENTIRE CHARACTER OF THIS SPIRIT-LED PERSON PRESENTS A UNIFIED, CONSISTENT, CLEAR, AND BRIGHT TESTIMONY FOR GOD.
• HOWEVER, WE ALL HAVE “BLIND SPOTS” IN OUR PERSONALITIES WHERE WE CANNOT AND DO NOT SEE THINGS CORRECTLY. IT IS PART OF OUR HUMAN NATURE. THAT IS WHY WE NEED CHRIST TO GUIDE US.
• WHAT IS AN EVIL EYE? (22)
• IN OCCULT SUPERSTITION THERE IS THE THOUGHT THAT A PERSON WITH DARK POWERS COULD PROJECT AN EVIL INFLUENCE, CURSE, OR BAD LUCK ON A PERSON BY LOOKING AT HIM IN A CERTAIN WAY.
• OF COURSE, THIS IS NOT TRUE SPIRITUALLY, BUT THE IDEA COMES FROM THE MEANING OF THE GREEK WORD USED HERE.
• THE GREEK WORD FOR, EVIL, IS “poneros” WHICH MEANS = EVIL IN INFLUENCE.
• THE PERSON WHO DOES NOT SEE CLEARLY HAS A SQUINT. HE PURPOSELY TRIES TO FOCUS THE EYE. THE SQUINT SHUTS OUT LIGHT WHICH LIMITS HIS VISION TO EITHER SIDE. (PERIPHERAL VISION)
• BECAUSE THIS PERSON SEES BLURRED OR DOUBLE, IT CAUSES HIM TO MAKE ERRORS IN JUDGMENT REGARDING HIS ENVIRONMENT AND LIMITS THE BREADTH OF HIS VISION.
• THE CHRISTIAN WHO IS INFLUENCED BY EVIL IS DISTRACTED FROM HIS CENTRAL PURPOSE OF GLORIFYING JESUS CHRIST. HE SHUTS OUT THE LIGHT OF THE TRUTH OF JESUS CHRIST, AND THAT LIMITS THE BREADTH OF HIS SPIRITUAL VISION. HE MAKES ERRORS IN JUDGMENT AND CAUSES EVIL TO COME INTO HIS LIFE AND THOSE AROUND HIM.
• WHAT DOES JESUS MEAN BY THE BODY BEING FULL OF DARKNESS BECAUSE OF AN EVIL EYE? (23)
• THE RESULTS OF A SPIRITUAL EYE WITH A SQUINT IS THAT THE WHOLE BODY IS FULL OF DARKNESS.
• IF THE EYE DOES NOT SEE STRAIGHT AND CLEARLY, THE IMAGE IS DISTORED AND HAS A DOUBLE FOCUS. A DOUBLE FOCUS CAUSES EVIL TO HIMSELF AND TO OTHERS.
• DARKNESS IN SCRIPTURE IS A SYMBOL OF EVIL.
• READ JAMES 1:5-8
• DISCUSSION: HOW DO THESE VERSE IN JAMES 1 RELATE TO THE PARABLE?
• WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MAT 6:24 AND THE PARABLE?
• A SINGLE FOCUS IS THE SAME AS SERVING ONE LORD.
• AN EVIL EYE IS A PERSON THAT DOES NOT FOCUS PROPERLY ON CHRIST. IT IS THE SAME AS SERVING TWO MASTERS.
• IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SERVE TWO MASTERS. BOTH DEMAND UNDIVIDED ATTENTION AND OBEDIENCE. IF BOTH MASTERS TELL YOU TO DO TWO DIFFERENT THINGS AT THE SAME TIME, WHICH DO YOU OBEY?
• SUMMARY AND APPLICATION:
• THE PARABLE OF THE SINGLE AND EVIL EYE RELATES BACK TO THE PARABLE OF THE MOTHS AND THE THIEVES.
• THE CHRISTIAN IS TO STORE TREASURES IN HEAVEN. HE IS TO HAVE A SINGLE, ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE OR FOCUS. HE IS TO SERVE THE LORD, JESUS CHRIST, IN EVERYTHING HE DOES.
• THE QUESTION WE SHOULD ASK OURSELVES IS, WHAT IS THE GENERAL THRUST OR THE CENTRAL MOTIVE, OF OUR LIVES. WE NEED TO COME TO GRIPS WITH THE QUESTION OF WHY WE ARE HERE AND WHAT WE WILL DO WITH THE TIME WE HAVE ON THIS EARTH.

HOMEWORK
THE PARABLE OF BIRDS AND LILIES (MAT 6:25-34)
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.

• APPLICATION FOR THE PARABLE OF SINGLE AND EVIL EYES (MAT 6:22-24)
• IF YOU HAVE NEVER CONSIDERED THE CENTRAL FOCUS OF YOUR LIFE’S MOTIVES AND ACTIONS, MAKE A LIST OF YOUR TALENTS AND CHARACTER STRENGTHS:

• PRAY FOR GOD’S DIRECTION TO SHOW YOU HOW HE CAN SPECIFICALLY USE YOUR TALENTS AND STRENGTHS IN YOUR PRESENT LIFE STYLE.

• IF YOU KNOW THE CENTRAL FOCUS OF YOUR LIFE, HOW CAN YOU ACHIEVE A GREATER SINGLENESS OF FOCUS IN YOUR LIFE THIS WEEK?

• PREPARATION FOR THE PARABLE OF BIRDS AND LILIES (MAT 6:25-34)
• READ MAT 6:19-34 FOR BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT.
• MAKE A LIST OF IMPORTANT CONCEPTS OR PRINCIPLES IN MAT 6:25-34.

• WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF VERSE 25-30?

• WHAT IS MEANT BY THE CORRELATION BETWEEN FOOD AND CLOTHING AND THE BIRDS OF THE AIR (25-26)?

• CONSIDER THE CHARACTERISTICS OF BIRDS AND RELATE THOSE CHARACTERISTICS TO THE PARABLE.

• CONSIDER THE CHARACTERISTICS OF LILIES AND RELATE THOSE CHARACTERISTICS TO THE PARABLE.

• INTEGRATE THIS PARABLE WITH THAT OF MAT 6:19 AND MAT 6:22 AND MAT 6:24. MAKE A GENERAL STATEMENT REGARDING WHAT THE CHRISTIAN LIFE SHOULD BE LIKE.

• MEMORY VERSE: MAT 6:33