“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!” – Matthew 6:22-23

Over the past six or seven years I have probably been to the eye-doctors’ office more than 50 times – if not more, no exaggeration. My parents had regular visits, then they both had cataract surgeries, plus all the lead up appointments, also their other eye specialists. Then there were Rebekah’s cataract surgeries, plus retina specialist stuff and more.

I know every detail of the insides of these places, what questions to ask, what their various machines do, and what to look for in a picture of a giant eyeball…

But Tuesday afternoon was the first time I’ve had my own eyes checked in more than a decade – and back then it was cursory at best. Getting dilated eyes along a complete and thorough examination is very much a new experience.

Flashing lights:

The precipitating event was a series of flashing lights that appeared in my peripheral vision a few days ago. I knew enough to be worried about a “detached retina” but it turns out all is well and I have remarkably healthy eyes…. Well, “for a man your age”!!!

The other part of the afternoon was the process of picking out new frames. My prescription had changed only marginally, but the lenses were in really bad shape and the frames (which are at least 20 years old) even worse.

I want you to know I almost got adventurous, trying on a few shall we say “interesting” frames with style and color and flair! Then I caught sight of the technician who was helping me. She watched my choices while quietly shaking her head.

“No…,” she mouthed in my general direction from the other side of the counter, rolling her eyes, “absolutely not.”

It occurred to me, going through all the various tests, that we are aiming not only for clear vision but also healthy eyes. And healthy means looking deep, all the way in. There is stuff going on back there, information being processed, blood flowing and jell changing its viscosity and retina detachment and lenses that sometimes dry out and the possibility of macular degeneration and cataracts growing and so much more….

Jesus weighs in:

Jesus teaches that it is not only important for us to see clearly but also that our eyes are healthy. Obviously he is talking about the way we interface and interact with the world around us, and it makes me really concerned for people who look at others through a distorted and unhealthy lens, and what darkness and decay is festering deeper down in their souls.

This is eventually going to catch up with us, Jesus points out, and…, “If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!”

But there is hope, always: “I am the light of the world,” Jesus says, “If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life” (John 8:12).