The Evil Eye

Matthew 5:
17. Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: ...
... 20. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

In the sermon on the mount, Jesus made this statement, then launched into several examples.
Jesus gave several examples. Pharisees: "Thou shalt not kill." Jesus: "You shalt not be angry without cause." Pharisees: "Thou shalt not commit adultery." Jesus: "You shall not look upon another to lust after them." "An eye for an eye," "Turn the other cheek."

You get the general principle. "All that the Pharisees do from the law and the prophets will not be enough for you to operate under kingdom principles."

He was still in this pattern when he touched on money.

Matthew 6:
19. Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
22. The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
23. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
24. No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
.... 33. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Consider this: the Pharisees had an evil eye. Where in the law does it say to have an evil eye?

According to Strong, this Greek word "evil" means hurtful in effect or influence. It comes into focus when you see it is derived from a word that means "toil." In context of Jesus' subject, it means living your life chasing every penny you can. Does it mean you are greedy? No. It means you are trying to be the Proverbs 31 woman. This is what the Pharisees did.

America's Puritan heritage gave us hard work as a virtue. The Puritans pulled this ethic straight out of the Bible. And the Pharisees did as well. But, even though it is the American tradition, hard work itself is not the virtuous thing. The Bible virtue is found in why you do all your hard work.

That is what makes your eye evil or clear. While the legally righteous labor to pay the mortgage and put food on the table, the kingdom righteous labor to be able to show mercy to those in need. They do the work of God. Then God takes care of their other issues.

The Pharisees have a keen eye for a money opportunity. They can smell it out from a mile away.
Jesus taught us to have a keen eye for ministry opportunity: see the needs around you.

Paul stated this concept in Ephesians 4:
28. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

The righteousness that is of the law and prophets labors to provide for ones self, and their own. It gives to the Lord his due, then socks the rest away for a rainy day.

Jesus said this wasn't good enough. Your labor should be to rescue the needy around you.

Consider the fast of Isaiah 58:
5. Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord?
6. Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
7. Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
8. Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward.
9. Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;
10. And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday:
11. And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.

Sounds a little like what Jesus said on the sermon on the mount.

Christians often adopt the righteousness of the Pharisees when it comes to money. They put away as much treasure on earth that they can. They refuse to associate with the "losers" in life, preferring to hob-nob with those more successful than they. What they don't realize is that those "losers" are the ones Jesus wants to spend time with. While they are "doing what it takes," they enslave themselves to money.

There is nothing wrong with working hard. There is only something wrong in working for money. You should really be working to show mercy to all who need it. Starting with your family.

If your eye is full of evil, toil and trouble, toil and trouble.... how very dark it can be for you.

If your eye is full of light, God adds to you the desires of your heart.

Copyright © 2009 Burley Ward. All rights reserved