Church Fathers Commentary Luke 11:33-36

"No man, when he hath lighted a lamp, putteth it in a cellar, neither under the bushel, but on the stand, that they which enter in may see the light. The lamp of thy body is thine eye: when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when it is evil, thy body also is full of darkness. Look therefore whether the light that is in thee be not darkness. If therefore thy whole body be full of light, having no part dark, it shall be wholly full of light, as when the lamp with its bright shining doth give thee light." — Luke 11:33-36 (ASV)

St. Cyril of Alexandria: The Jews said that our Lord performed His miracles not to inspire faith—that is, so they might believe in Him—but to gain the applause of the spectators, meaning that He might have more followers. He therefore refutes this slander, saying, No one, when he has lit a candle, puts it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick.

The Venerable Bede: Our Lord here speaks of Himself, showing that although He had said above that no sign should be given to this wicked generation but the sign of Jonah, yet the brightness of His light should by no means be hidden from the faithful. He Himself indeed lights the candle, for He filled the vessel of our nature with the fire of His divinity. He surely wished neither to hide this candle from believers nor to place it under a bushel—that is, to enclose it within the measure of the law or confine it to the limits of the single nation of the Jews.

But He placed it on a candlestick, that is, the Church, for He has imprinted on our foreheads the faith of His incarnation, so that those who wish to enter the Church with true faith might be able to see the light of truth clearly. Lastly, He tells them to remember to cleanse and purify not only their works, but also their thoughts and the intentions of the heart, for it follows, The light of the body is the eye.

St. Ambrose of Milan: Either faith is the light, as it is written, Your word, O Lord, is a lantern to my feet. For the word of God is our faith. But a lantern cannot shine unless it has received its light from something else. Hence also, the powers of our mind and senses are enlightened so that the piece of money which had been lost may be found. Let no one, then, place faith under the law, for the law is bound by certain limits, while grace is unlimited; the law obscures, but grace makes clear.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Or else, because the Jews saw the miracles and accused Him out of the malice of their hearts, our Lord tells them that, having received the light of their understanding from God, they were so darkened by envy as not to recognize His miracles and mercies. But we received our understanding from God for this purpose: that we should place it on a candlestick, so that others who are entering may also see the light.

The wise man has indeed already entered, but the learner is still walking. It is as if He said to the Pharisees that they ought to use their understanding to recognize the miracles and declare them to others, seeing that what they see are the works not of Beelzebub, but of the Son of God. Therefore, maintaining this meaning, He adds, The light of the body is the eye.

Origen of Alexandria: For He gives the name “eye” especially to our understanding, but He metaphorically calls the whole soul “the body,” although it is not corporeal. For the whole soul is enlightened by the understanding.

Theophylact of Ohrid: But just as the body will be light if its eye is light, and dark if its eye is dark, so it is with the understanding in relation to the soul. Hence it follows, If your eye is single, your whole body will be full of light; but if it is evil, your whole body will be full of darkness.

Origen of Alexandria: For the understanding from its very beginning desires only singleness, containing no deceit, guile, or division in itself.

St. John Chrysostom: If, then, we have corrupted the understanding, which is able to unleash the passions, we have done violence to the whole soul and suffer a dreadful darkness, being blinded by the perversion of our understanding. Therefore He adds, Take heed, therefore, that the light which is in you is not darkness.

He speaks of a darkness that can be perceived, but which originates within us and which we carry everywhere with us, because the eye of the soul has been put out. Concerning the power of this light, He goes on to say, If your whole body therefore is full of light...

Origen of Alexandria: That is, if your material body is made full of light when a candle shines on it, so that not one of your members remains in darkness, how much more, when you do not sin, will your whole spiritual body be so full of light that its brightness may be compared to the shining of a candle? At that point, the light which was in the body, and which used to be darkness, is directed wherever the understanding may command.

St. Gregory of Nazianzus: Or else, the light and eye of the Church is the bishop. It is necessary, then, that just as the body is rightly directed as long as the eye keeps itself pure, but goes wrong when it becomes corrupt, so also with respect to the prelate. According to his state, the Church must likewise either suffer shipwreck or be saved.

St. Gregory the Great: Or else, by the name “body,” we understand each particular action that follows its own intention, as it were, the eye of the spectators. Therefore it is said, The light of the body is the eye, because by the ray of a good intention, the worthy parts of an action receive light.

If, then, your eye is single, your whole body will be full of light; for if we intend rightly with singleness of heart, we accomplish a good work, even if it does not seem to be good. And if your eye is evil, your whole body will be full of darkness, because when even a right action is done with a crooked intention, it is covered with darkness before the bar of the internal judge, although it may appear to glitter in the sight of men.

Hence, it is also rightly added, Take heed therefore that the light which is in you is not darkness. For if we cloud by a bad intention what we think we do well, how much worse are the evils themselves, which we know to be evil even as we do them?

The Venerable Bede: Now when He adds, If your whole body therefore..., by “the whole of our body” He means all our works. If, then, you have done a good work with a good intention, having in your conscience nothing approaching a dark thought, you will be rewarded for your singleness of heart with grace here and with glorious light hereafter, even if it happens that your neighbor is injured by your good actions.

He signifies this by adding, And as the bright shining of a candle shall it give you light. These words were especially directed against the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, who were seeking for signs so that they might trap Him.