The Lamp of the Body
by Peter Horrobin
A few days ago I wrote about my shock at the fact that a recent pornographic book had sold over a 100 million copies and that thousands are now flocking to watch the film of the book. Today I want to draw your attention to what Jesus said about our eyes! We cannot either read a book or watch a film without using our eyes and Jesus made a comparison between good eyes and bad eyes.
He describes the eye as being the lamp of the body – for it is through the eyes that light enters which penetrates right into the very depths of our whole being. The eye is a channel through which light comes. If the eye is good then what is conveyed into the heart of our being will bring light. A good eye is one that looks at things which are good.
Conversely, however, a bad eye is one which focuses on things that are bad and uses the passage of physical light in order to convey images of darkness. Those images of darkness are poisoned arrows which Satan uses to corrupt our whole being. Jesus said that when the light within us is actually darkness, then the whole body will be full of darkness.
Modern day statistics tell us the awful truth – that people who become hooked on pornographic material are often those who want to live out what they have seen in the flesh. Not only is their mind then filled with the images of darkness, but their bodies have joined in the process and through their ungodly behaviour have welcomed in yet more darkness into their whole being.
The book I referred to above is called 50 Shades of Grey. There are four meanings of the word Shades in the Google Dictionary, two of which are of great significance to those who have read the book or are thinking of reading it. ‘Shades’ is a modern day word that has replaced the word ‘sunglasses’ in the vernacular. The only purpose of shades is to block out the light. The other relevant, and much older, meaning of ‘shades’ is ‘evil spirits’. A shade is, simply, a demon or a ghost. How extraordinary that the title word of this book refers to shutting out the light and coming under the influence of the powers of darkness!
When people read this sort of material they are looking at it with what Jesus would call ‘bad eyes’ and are choosing to fill their whole beings with darkness. And when they do so they are laying down a welcome mat for the enemy! The darkness that is welcomed in is described by Jesus as being ‘great darkness’ – not a wishy-washy shade of grey, but penetrating, evil darkness.
People who choose darkness will not be able to see where they are going through life. What an important warning Jesus has given us here not to let our eyes become bad eyes.
Prayer: help me, Lord, not to focus my eyes on things which turn them into channels of darkness. And where I have sinned in this respect, help me, Lord, to bring my eyes to you for cleansing and to choose to walk in the light with ‘good eyes’. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Peter Horrobin is the Founding and International Director of Ellel Ministries. The work was originally established in 1986 as a ministry of healing in the north-west of England, but today the work has spread round the world, with Ellel Centres in over thirty nations. Peter has been doing lots of writing recently, including the "Journey to Life" series which can be purchased online at sovereignworld.com.
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