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Light To Read By: A Key To Understanding Your Bible

In the Bible, God's creative activity begins-- as an evil eye toward your neighbor. The
with the sentence, "Let there be light." Thisopposite of an evil eye finds expression in
is not merely a nice opening line, but itScripture as an open hand and an enlarged
actually tells of the culmination of God'sheart, or largesse. Royalty, in the ancient
redemptive plan for mankind as well. Thenear East, preeminently concerned itself with
necessity of understanding this importantshowing what today we would call "extreme
biblical theme takes us to the gospel ofcharity." This the pagans lack.By contrast,
Matthew.Matthew 6: 19-34Lay not up forthe 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 forall the promises of God." Hope means the
yourselves treasures in heaven, where neitherfuture expectation that God will raise those
moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieveswho have served him from the dead unto glory
do not break through nor steal: For whereand immortality. And charity means "practical
your treasure is, there will your heart bekindness," the only kind of love Scripture
also. The light of the body is the eye: ifapproves. The bottom line is this: you either
therefore thine eye be single, thy whole bodyfix your eyes on hoarding money as a means
shall be full of light. But if thine eye befor getting more immediate pleasure in this
evil, thy whole body shall be full oflife (serve Mammon and have an evil [stingy]
darkness. If therefore the light that is ineye 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 hedoing works of faith, hope and charity --
will hate the one, and love the other; orwith a "good eye" toward your neighbor.Jesus
else he will hold to the one, and despise thehad said, "You Christians (their faith may
other. Ye cannot serve God andhave been little, but these were those who
mammon.Therefore I say unto you, Take nohad faith) can trust God to provide you with
thought for your life, what ye shall eat, ortemporary 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 moreglory than Solomon had." Don't worry about
than meat, and the body than raiment? Beholdgetting 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 yeof faith, hope, and especially charity. For,
not much better than they? Which of you byas Paul said, "To them who by patient
taking thought can add one cubit unto hiscontinuance 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 theyimmortality, 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 inwisdom, etc] ...." (Romans 2:7).God relates
all his glory was not arrayed like one ofto others in an orderly way (though He is
these.Wherefore, if God so clothe the grassseldom 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 morepeople now determines how He will treat you
clothe you, O ye of little faith? Thereforelater. 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, WherewithalGod." For Jesus said, "let your LIGHT SHINE
shall we be clothed? (For after all thesebefore men that they may see your good works,
things do the Gentiles seek:) for yourand [so] GLORIFY your Father who is in
heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need ofheaven." And if you Glorify God through
all these things.But seek ye first thepersistent, faithful obedience, He will also
kingdom of God, and his righteousness; andglorify 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: forof Revelation, though most seemed to have
the morrow shall take thought for the thingsmissed the obvious for the subtle on that
of itself. Sufficient unto the day is thepoint.Solomon was a "type," a graphic picture
evil thereof.Now we simply have to ask theof what a believer will be like in the
question here, "What was Jesus talkingresurrection. He will be a king, shine with
about?" Most people probably would strive togreat 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 readLord." This is why the lampstands of
some more, still too many trees dot theSolomon's Temple represent the Church. And
forest. Certainly this was true of the guysremember, the Solomonic Temple was
who arranged this text into its variouscharacterized by "glory and beauty."
sections. Apparently, to them this simplyLampstands give light, they shine.Jesus was
looked like "various sayings of Jesus lumpedalways 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, beI 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, worryingendured the cross, scorning it shame." What
about tomorrow, clothes and pagans, Solomonwas 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 athoughts and perspective)?? You guessed
kind a rant posted online entitled "randomit.Now let's carry this idea forward just a
thoughts about life."I believe that the keybit, looking at other instances of this theme
to understanding this text flows from thein the Bible. What was Joseph's special "coat
theme of resurrection, and I'll try toof many colors" about? Noah's rainbow? Moses'
explain this as clearly as I am able. Jesusshining face? Why do the martyrs in
was here, and most everywhere else, TALKINGRevelation 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. Theylater taken from the ground to show its light
kept dying. Sometimes they died because theyto the world?" What color are sheep? Why did
didn't have clothes enough to keep warm, orJesus say, "No one hides a lamp under a
food enough to eat. Life was then as Thomasbushel?" Why did he say to his disciples "You
Hobbes described it: Nasty, brutish andare the light of the world"? Why does
short.In this context, to tell people "lifeScripture -- for all its emphasis on inner
is more than just food and clothes" would notbeauty -- go out of it's way to mention the
have met with the yawning consent modernsgreat 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 theseChristians promised to be made "pillars in
people dropping like flies because they don'tthe temple of My God" by Jesus? What color
have the necessities of life?" And he wouldare pillars? Why did Jesus tell a parable
have answered them, "Oh yes, I see it. But Iwhere a man was tossed out of the wedding
also see that these people, should they liveparty for wearing the WRONG CLOTHES? Why was
like kings today, having their needs met likethe high priest clothed in so dazzling an
Solomon did, will still DIE. And thenarray 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 notSolomon in a single word? Why is the Church
by men. This is the central point of thedescribed in terms of precious gems at the
text. This is why Paul was fond of theend of the Revelation? How is wisdom better
metaphor of "putting on Christ," as thoughthan "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. Paganswisdom and righteousness always so shiny in
would instead strive to get MONEY, and storethe Bible?Why did Solomon say that the END of
it up, so that they could meet life's demandsa matter was better than its beginning?I
of food and clothing. They put mammon on thesuggest 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 fickleof 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 andyourself 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 monologuedifficult. After all, says John, "God is
about God vs. Mammon -- hoarding money forlight, and there is no darkness in Him at
one's own personal gain. And yet, Godall." Amen.Carson Day has written some 1.3
commands men to get money. This is what workgazillion articles and essays on all manner
is all about. But simply getting moneyof 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. Ifcan visit Carson's websites at (The
you read the Older Testament, you will findOmniblog, 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 needystopping by.



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