| In the Bible, God's creative activity begins | | | | -- as an evil eye toward your neighbor. The |
| with the sentence, "Let there be light." This | | | | opposite of an evil eye finds expression in |
| is not merely a nice opening line, but it | | | | Scripture as an open hand and an enlarged |
| actually tells of the culmination of God's | | | | heart, or largesse. Royalty, in the ancient |
| redemptive plan for mankind as well. The | | | | near East, preeminently concerned itself with |
| necessity of understanding this important | | | | showing what today we would call "extreme |
| biblical theme takes us to the gospel of | | | | charity." This the pagans lack.By contrast, |
| Matthew.Matthew 6: 19-34Lay not up for | | | | the Christian life builds others up by |
| yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth | | | | "faith, hope, and charity." Here, faith means |
| and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves | | | | "faith in the redemptive work of Christ and |
| break through and steal: But lay up for | | | | all the promises of God." Hope means the |
| yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither | | | | future expectation that God will raise those |
| moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves | | | | who have served him from the dead unto glory |
| do not break through nor steal: For where | | | | and immortality. And charity means "practical |
| your treasure is, there will your heart be | | | | kindness," the only kind of love Scripture |
| also. The light of the body is the eye: if | | | | approves. The bottom line is this: you either |
| therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body | | | | fix your eyes on hoarding money as a means |
| shall be full of light. But if thine eye be | | | | for getting more immediate pleasure in this |
| evil, thy whole body shall be full of | | | | life (serve Mammon and have an evil [stingy] |
| darkness. If therefore the light that is in | | | | eye toward your neighbor), or you trust God |
| thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! | | | | to provide for you and focus your efforts on |
| No man can serve two masters: for either he | | | | doing works of faith, hope and charity -- |
| will hate the one, and love the other; or | | | | with a "good eye" toward your neighbor.Jesus |
| else he will hold to the one, and despise the | | | | had said, "You Christians (their faith may |
| other. Ye cannot serve God and | | | | have been little, but these were those who |
| mammon.Therefore I say unto you, Take no | | | | had faith) can trust God to provide you with |
| thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or | | | | temporary food and clothes because he will |
| what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, | | | | clothe you in the resurrection with greater |
| what ye shall put on. Is not the life more | | | | glory than Solomon had." Don't worry about |
| than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold | | | | getting money to provide for the basics, |
| the fowls of the air: for they sow not, | | | | instead work hard and pray hard (knowing that |
| neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; | | | | God will provide) and get about doing works |
| yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye | | | | of faith, hope, and especially charity. For, |
| not much better than they? Which of you by | | | | as Paul said, "To them who by patient |
| taking thought can add one cubit unto his | | | | continuance in well doing [i.e. doing good |
| stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? | | | | works] seek for glory and honour and |
| Consider the lilies of the field, how they | | | | immortality, eternal life: [i.e. resurrection |
| grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: | | | | of the body unto glory, honor, riches, |
| And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in | | | | wisdom, etc] ...." (Romans 2:7).God relates |
| all his glory was not arrayed like one of | | | | to others in an orderly way (though He is |
| these.Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass | | | | seldom predictable) by a principle called |
| of the field, which to day is, and to morrow | | | | "Lex Talionis." The way you treat God and His |
| is cast into the oven, shall he not much more | | | | people now determines how He will treat you |
| clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore | | | | later. What you sow now, you reap later. So |
| take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? | | | | by doing good works now, Christians "Glorify |
| or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal | | | | God." For Jesus said, "let your LIGHT SHINE |
| shall we be clothed? (For after all these | | | | before men that they may see your good works, |
| things do the Gentiles seek:) for your | | | | and [so] GLORIFY your Father who is in |
| heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of | | | | heaven." And if you Glorify God through |
| all these things.But seek ye first the | | | | persistent, faithful obedience, He will also |
| kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and | | | | glorify you. That is called "resurrection." |
| all these things shall be added unto you. | | | | It is the primary subject of the entire book |
| Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for | | | | of Revelation, though most seemed to have |
| the morrow shall take thought for the things | | | | missed the obvious for the subtle on that |
| of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the | | | | point.Solomon was a "type," a graphic picture |
| evil thereof.Now we simply have to ask the | | | | of what a believer will be like in the |
| question here, "What was Jesus talking | | | | resurrection. He will be a king, shine with |
| about?" Most people probably would strive to | | | | great glory, be full of wisdom, and be called |
| give an answer they could offer with | | | | "Jedidiah," which means "Beloved of the |
| confidence. They can read, re-read, and read | | | | Lord." This is why the lampstands of |
| some more, still too many trees dot the | | | | Solomon's Temple represent the Church. And |
| forest. Certainly this was true of the guys | | | | remember, the Solomonic Temple was |
| who arranged this text into its various | | | | characterized by "glory and beauty." |
| sections. Apparently, to them this simply | | | | Lampstands give light, they shine.Jesus was |
| looked like "various sayings of Jesus lumped | | | | always thinking of resurrection unto glory, |
| together about how to get along in life" -- | | | | of His own and of that of His people. How do |
| something a bit like "Don't worry, be | | | | I know this? Because the author of Hebrews |
| happy."It's hard to blame them. After all, | | | | said so. "Who for the JOY SET BEFORE HIM |
| here, you have stuff about money, worrying | | | | endured the cross, scorning it shame." What |
| about tomorrow, clothes and pagans, Solomon | | | | was this "joy" he had set firmly in front of |
| and grass, birds of the air, eyes and bodies, | | | | his eyes (meaning that it occupied His |
| etc. Most moderns too probably see this as a | | | | thoughts and perspective)?? You guessed |
| kind a rant posted online entitled "random | | | | it.Now let's carry this idea forward just a |
| thoughts about life."I believe that the key | | | | bit, looking at other instances of this theme |
| to understanding this text flows from the | | | | in the Bible. What was Joseph's special "coat |
| theme of resurrection, and I'll try to | | | | of many colors" about? Noah's rainbow? Moses' |
| explain this as clearly as I am able. Jesus | | | | shining face? Why do the martyrs in |
| was here, and most everywhere else, TALKING | | | | Revelation get handed "White robes??"" Why is |
| ABOUT RESURRECTION UNTO GLORY. You see, | | | | the kingdom of heaven like "A buried pearl |
| people in that day had a common problem. They | | | | later taken from the ground to show its light |
| kept dying. Sometimes they died because they | | | | to the world?" What color are sheep? Why did |
| didn't have clothes enough to keep warm, or | | | | Jesus say, "No one hides a lamp under a |
| food enough to eat. Life was then as Thomas | | | | bushel?" Why did he say to his disciples "You |
| Hobbes described it: Nasty, brutish and | | | | are the light of the world"? Why does |
| short.In this context, to tell people "life | | | | Scripture -- for all its emphasis on inner |
| is more than just food and clothes" would not | | | | beauty -- go out of it's way to mention the |
| have met with the yawning consent moderns | | | | great outward beauty of women of faith like |
| give this saying. They would have thought -- | | | | Sarah, Esther, and Bathsheba? Why are |
| "You must be crazy! Don't you see all these | | | | Christians promised to be made "pillars in |
| people dropping like flies because they don't | | | | the temple of My God" by Jesus? What color |
| have the necessities of life?" And he would | | | | are pillars? Why did Jesus tell a parable |
| have answered them, "Oh yes, I see it. But I | | | | where a man was tossed out of the wedding |
| also see that these people, should they live | | | | party for wearing the WRONG CLOTHES? Why was |
| like kings today, having their needs met like | | | | the high priest clothed in so dazzling an |
| Solomon did, will still DIE. And then | | | | array of costly luminous stones? Why did |
| what?"You see, Solomon was arrayed in GLORY. | | | | Jesus choose the word "glory" to characterize |
| And the lilies were clothed BY GOD, and not | | | | Solomon in a single word? Why is the Church |
| by men. This is the central point of the | | | | described in terms of precious gems at the |
| text. This is why Paul was fond of the | | | | end of the Revelation? How is wisdom better |
| metaphor of "putting on Christ," as though | | | | than "rubies," and the tongue of the |
| Christ were like clothing -- holy clothing -- | | | | righteous like "choice silver"?? Why are |
| like a priestly robe or a king's best. Pagans | | | | wisdom and righteousness always so shiny in |
| would instead strive to get MONEY, and store | | | | the Bible?Why did Solomon say that the END of |
| it up, so that they could meet life's demands | | | | a matter was better than its beginning?I |
| of food and clothing. They put mammon on the | | | | suggest that the reader interpret the sayings |
| top of the list so they could make ends meet, | | | | of Jesus, the Lord of Glory, in the context |
| and get a little insurance against fickle | | | | of this theme when you next read his words, |
| fortune. This made them greedy for money. | | | | and, if the Lord blesses, you might find |
| This is why they laid up treasure here and | | | | yourself pleasantly surprised by the clarity |
| now.Thus from the very beginning (v. 19), | | | | of his sayings where they once seemed more |
| Jesus had entered into one LONG monologue | | | | difficult. After all, says John, "God is |
| about God vs. Mammon -- hoarding money for | | | | light, and there is no darkness in Him at |
| one's own personal gain. And yet, God | | | | all." Amen.Carson Day has written some 1.3 |
| commands men to get money. This is what work | | | | gazillion articles and essays on all manner |
| is all about. But simply getting money | | | | of topics. These aim to glorify God and offer |
| differs from hoarding it for personal use. | | | | people real help to live wisely and well. You |
| The evil eye presents us with the problem. If | | | | can visit Carson's websites at (The |
| you read the Older Testament, you will find | | | | Omniblog, where Carson blogs everything) or |
| that it refers to a lack of CHARITY -- where | | | | (Carson's Day Trading Outpost). Thanks for |
| charity means giving away money to the needy | | | | stopping by. |