Albert Barnes Commentary Matthew 6:22-23

"The lamp of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. 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 the darkness!" — Matthew 6:22-23 (ASV)

The light of the body, etc. The sentiment stated in the preceding verses—the duty of fixing our affections on heavenly things—Jesus proceeds to illustrate by a reference to the eye. When the eye is directed singly and steadily toward an object, and is healthy, or single, everything is clear and plain.

If the eye vibrates, flies to different objects, is fixed on no one singly, or is diseased, nothing is seen clearly. Everything is dim and confused. The person, therefore, is unsteady. The eye regulates the motion of the body.

To have an object distinctly in view is necessary to correct and regulate action. For example, rope-dancers, to steady themselves, fix their eyes on some object on the wall and look steadily at it. If they should look down on the rope or the people, they would become dizzy and fall.

Similarly, a person crossing a stream on a log, if they look across at some object steadily, will be in little danger. If they look down on the dashing and rolling waters, they will become dizzy and fall.

So Jesus says, in order that our conduct may be right, it is important to fix our affections on heaven. Having our affections there—having the eye of faith single, steady, and unwavering—all our conduct will be consistent.

Single means steady, devoted to one object; not confused, as people’s eyes are when they see double.

Thy whole body shall be full of light. Your conduct will be regular and steady. All that is needed to direct the body is that the eye be fixed right; no other light is required. So, all that is needed to direct the soul and the conduct is that the eye of faith be fixed on heaven, that the affections be there.

If therefore the light that is in thee, etc. The word light, here, signifies the mind, or the principles of the soul. If this is dark, how great is that darkness!

The meaning of this passage may be expressed this way: The light of the body, its guide and director, is the eye. Everyone knows how calamitous it is when that light is irregular or extinguished, as when the eye is diseased or lost.

So the light that is in us is the soul. If that soul is debased by attending exclusively to earthly objects—if it is diseased and not fixed on heaven—how much darker and more dreadful will it be than any darkness of the eye!

Avarice darkens the mind, obscures the view, and brings a dreadful and gloomy night over all the faculties.