I see smiling eyes, curious eyes, frustrated eyes and even tired eyes darting back and forth above the masks they wear. Having been raised by southern parents, I say hello to folks in my proximity and especially to those with whom I make eye contact. I know immediately how I have been received by the eyes I meet. I have noticed it is very difficult to lie with the eyes. If someone receives me pleasantly I know immediately and if someone feels awkward at being addressed by a stranger I see that anxiety at once.
I have received a message or two from a five-foot tall older lady that she'd like something on the top shelf at Walmart that she's pretty sure I could reach for her. She doesn't even have to ask me, I see her eyes and I say, "May I get something down for you?" Her eyes immediately show gratitude at my having read her message correctly and offering the help she needed. Our eyes are telling windows to our emotions, and a betrayer of secrets. They also are the gateway to all kinds of information and gateways need to be guarded.
Matthew 6:22-23 says, "The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!" Jesus is teaching that those eyes are keys to walking and getting by for most of us. They tell us where to step and what to avoid. They help us judge the beautiful from the ugly, the fresh from the rotten, and the profitable from unprofitable. The truth of Jesus' statement goes deeper still.
The word habituation, one of the few words I remember from all the psychology I've taken, refers to the diminishing response we have to psychological or emotional response to some frequent stimulation. The non-dictionary.com definition is that we habituate when something we see often begins to shock us less, effect us less and move us to action less over time. When I was a young man, one of the many jobs I had was working in a warehouse. When I first arrived, I was blown away by the terrible language the guys used all the time. It was a terrible environment. Over the course of the next year, there came a point where I didn't even notice it, and even used that language at work. After the Lord saved me, that habituation drained away and I had no desire to hear or say those words again. The point is, that the constant exposure dulled my appropriate response. The Scriptures encourage us (and even command us) to refrain from these behaviors. We are to keep our eyes on Jesus and measure the stimuli against his holiness to judge its worthiness for our attention. With all this extra time on our hands what have we given our attention to that we should turn away from? How much time do we allow our children to have on their devices because we are too busy to supervise? How full of light is this time we have?
As we walk, we keep our eyes on Jesus. Albert Barnes, theologian and biblical commentator provides this example of Jesus's message: "A man crossing a stream on a log, if he will look across at some object steadily, will be in little danger. If he looks down on the dashing and rolling waters, he will become dizzy, and fall. So Jesus says, in order that the conduct may be right, it is important to fix the affections on heaven."
Barnes' advice is good in a time when we have so many distractions. Add to these the anxieties that the pandemic puts before us everyday. As the media commentators focus on life and publish mortality statistics as one would football scores, we are called to focus on life and that more abundant. We put that which is out of our control (and I would argue little is in our control) in God's hands and seek to do and understand His will. Peter writes:"Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." 1 Pet. 5:76-8
Even when we feel we are up to our eyeballs in trouble, we can still see our way clear through the Word of God and the encouragement of His people. Our eyes were made to seek righteousness, to see God's opportunity and to judge the correct path. We can know that our way is clear when we focus on what Jesus has in store for his people. -Greg Mosley
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