Now, my default move — that’s if the text is found in the gospels—  is to try and find the same text in other gospels and see if it’s clearer elsewhere. Matthew 6:22 renders the text almost exactly the way Luke does but Matthew5:14-16 records a close parallel and it’s worth reading: ‘You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket… Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your father who is in heaven.’

One thing that is obvious is that in these two passages, something is giving out light in the midst of darkness and Jesus adds, in the second passage, that this light is going to change the way you act, the way you do things —in a good way— and when other people see you, glory is going to the Father. So many times the Bible gives the analogy of light and darkness (e.g. Phil2:14-15, Eph5:8-11…) referring to Christians in the midst of a dark (twisted, crooked, distorted, perverted) world. The world is lost, purposeless and everything in it is vanity and striving after the wind and that’s why darkness is the perfect analogy here. But when it comes to the Christians, we do have a purpose, we know our reason to be, we know where we’re going and, in fact, we do have a guide and helper along the way.

Being in the light, as Jesus suggests, is going to make us different because we move as knowing where we’re going. Our actions are going to change to the amazement of those in the darkness and that’s why Jesus says that a lamp that is lighted can’t be put under a basket, that is, where no one sees. It’s impossible that you have light and at the same time that light be invisible to those who are in darkness. By that we understand his plea: ’Let your light shine before others…’

If we go back to our text, Jesus says that the eye is the lamp of the body, in other words it is the part that is going to be lighted. From what’s said above, we can understand that once we’re enlightened we are given purpose and direction. That is to say that Jesus isn’t talking about physical eyes here. He’s talking about our spiritual eyes which directly affects our perspective, that is, our view of things —hence the use of the eye as analogy— our purpose and direction in life. We can say that Jesus said that if your perspective is darkened, that is, according to the world; then your whole being is going to move in that direction. But, on the other hand, if it’s enlightened —that is, healthy, in his analogy—then we know our whole body is full of light; meaning that our whole being will go in that direction.

Matthew Henry’s paraphrase reads: ‘If our leading principles be wrong, our judgments and practice must become more so.’

We need to remember the amazing assertion:’ I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life’ (John8:12). It’s not as if the source of light is inside of us but Jesus himself is the light, and as light brings back clarity, vision, direction and order so does Jesus in our life. Whoever has him, he has ‘the light of life.’

If we move to the heart of his message in this passage, Jesus is teaching that just as the burning light can’t be hidden, so is everyone whose eyes are healthy, whose vision is clear and whose leading principles are good, right and true(Ephesians5:8). ‘What fellowship has light with darkness?’(2cor6:14) asks Paul, referring to believers and unbelievers. When your body is full of light; it’s going to be wholly bright as when a lamp with its rays gives you light.

As there’s a difference between a lighted candle and one that isn’t, so there must be a difference between us and if our works are like theirs, we should be doubting if we ever were enlightened because ‘if we say we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth’ (1John1:6). It doesn’t really matter what we profess, by this we may test whether our professions are true.

‘What is darkness and how may I see it in my life?’ you might ask. I’d simply answer that it’s manifested in every action that doesn’t reflect him. If your plans, your motives, your goals, your vision, your purpose in life and actions aren’t reflecting or leading to him, chances are that you’re in the dark.

May we heed Jesus’ caution: ‘Therefore, be careful lest the light in you be darkness?’(Luke11:35)

Lord help us.