Is My "Light" Actually Darkness?

“Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. But when it is unhealthy, your body is filled with darkness. Make sure that the light you think you have is not actually darkness. [Luke 11.34-35] 

What if God didn't give us eyes to see how to take care of ourselves, but instead to see how to do His work?

Here's a fact with riddle-like meaning: We only "see" what we look upon!

His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?” He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. That is why I use these parables, For they look, but they don’t really see. They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand. This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says, ‘When you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see what I do, you will not comprehend. For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes—so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.’ [Matthew 13.11-15]

Jesus likened listening to looking and looking to listening. Both have everything to do with intent. Intent reveals our heart. Our heart reveals what we trust in - what we look upon and listen to. What we look upon and listen to reveals our god.

How much confusion exists among people who claim to be followers of Christ but spend all their energy building their own kingdom?

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need. [Luke 12.31]

In context of all that is said to this point, anything that we look upon or listen to - trusting in - instead of God is an idol. Idols have some rather unique characteristics that should make us wonder why Jesus spoke so often about seeing and hearing:

Their idols are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands. They have mouths but cannot speak, and eyes but cannot see. They have ears but cannot hear, and noses but cannot smell. They have hands but cannot feel, and feet but cannot walk, and throats but cannot make a sound. And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them. [Psalm 115.4-8]

The idols of the nations are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands. They have mouths but cannot speak, and eyes but cannot see. They have ears but cannot hear, and mouths but cannot breathe. And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them. [Psalm 135.15-18] 

Two very distinct characteristics of people who trust in idols is that they are blind and deaf! Oh, to be sure, they "see" and "hear," but, what the look upon and listen to are idols and not God.  Everything they see and hear is about themselves - about "self." They are blinded and deafened by self-centeredness. Idols allow people do for themselves everything God said He would do for those who simply obey Him (Luke 12.31 above along with Matthew 6.33). And, therein is revealed the problem: dealing with God - obeying God. Idols offer benefits without accountability to God. Idols darken the heart of selfish man to the selfless light that is God. But that's not all... so powerful is the darkness of self-centered idolatry that it easily convinces its unwary victim that it is from God.

Jesus warned us to, "Make sure that the light you think you have is not actually darkness."

We must remember that Jesus constantly taught about faith. However, like a poignant line from a popular movie accurately says, "just because you believe something does not make it true." Jesus was never abstract about faith. What we believe in matters. Jesus specifically demanded faith in God. Jesus actually scolded "faith" that did not yield miracles. Jesus specifically demanded faith in Himself, the Son of God - God With Us. Jesus went straight to the heart of the "self" matter in Matthew 16.24:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24]

The sad truth is this: most people will read these words without even a hint of conviction about their "own way" of gross idolatry. So permeated into the fabric of modern society are the idols of man that even the Church has been infiltrated, and dare I say, conquered by self-centric idolatry. One has to look no further than man's industries of finance, insurance, medicine and technology to realize his dependence upon these idols and not God - all the while believing and assuring himself in abject darkness that these idol industries are from God. And then, we wonder why God doesn't "heal us" or do profound miracles today... And, again, Jesus' words sum it up:

This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says, ‘When you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see what I do, you will not comprehend. For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes—so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.’ [Matthew 13.14-15]

Question: Is my "light" actually darkness? 

Father, help those who would be Your people - those who would follow Christ - to see the truth of Your Word. May we not be fooled - blinded - by our own selfish desires. May we be found giving up our own way, taking up our cross, and following Jesus, seeking Your Kingdom above all else - knowing You will give us everything we need. So be it.