Good spiritual vision requires consistent focus on Jesus Christ and His word. This has been our topic of discussion for the past two weeks. In Matthew 6:24, Jesus applies His teaching about “the eye” as “the lamp of the body”, saying, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” In other words, we cannot store up treasures on earth and in heaven at the same time. Neither can we be absorbed with anxiety about food and clothing and still seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness (Mt. 6:33).

In order to focus on good, we must turn away from evil. David resolved: “I will set no worthless thing before my eyes…” (Ps. 101:3). In Psalm 119:37, he prayed: “Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity.” Isaiah described the righteous person as one who “shuts his eyes from looking upon evil…” (Is. 33:15).
Why are our hearts divided? It is because our focus has been divided. We need to close our eyes to the worthless, vain, and evil things of the world. Keeping our focus on Jesus is vital to our spiritual well-being. The promise that “your whole body will be filled with light” is only for those who keep their focus on things in heaven (Mt. 6:22).

Good spiritual vision also requires that we take seriously the warnings of Scripture. Jesus says, “But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!” (Mt. 6:23).

Spiritual darkness is the domain over which Satan rules. Scripture describes his activity, saying, “the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ…” (2 Cor. 4:4). It is not as though those blinded have no choice, for Jesus says, “men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their deeds were evil” (Jn. 3:19). This is the darkness of self-imposed ignorance. Remember that hell is described as an agonizing, lonely place of outer darkness. Spiritual darkness should not be taken lightly. We must make every effort to open our eyes and abide in the light of Jesus Christ.