The Light of the Body

The light 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 that darkness!

SUMMARY: In the Old Testament, an “evil eye” was a metaphor for being stingy or covetous. Unfortunately there is little commentary on this passage within the ANF, apart from a fragment On the Gospel of Matthew which is considered a spurious writing, attributed to Gregory Thaumaturgus. “For the light of the body is the eye,” says the Scripture, by which the interior illuminated by the shining light. “The single eye is the love unfeigned; for when the body is enlightened by it, it sets forth through the medium of the outer members only things which are perfectly correspondent with the inner thoughts. But the evil eye is the pretended love, which is also called hypocrisy, by which the whole body of the man is made darkness. We have to consider that deeds meet only for darkness may be within the man, while through the outer members he may produce words that seem to be of the light: for there are those who are in reality wolves, though they may be covered with sheep’s clothing. Such are they who wash only the outside of the cup and platter, and do not understand that, unless the inside of these things is cleansed, the outside itself cannot be made pure. Therefore, in manifest confutation of such persons, the Savior says: “If the light that is in you be darkness, how great is that darkness!” That is to say, if the love which seems to you to be light is really a work meet for darkness, by reason of some hypocrisy concealed in you, what must be your patent transgressions!” Early Christian Commentary of the Sermon on the Mount appears, Clement of Alexandria. To see God belongs to the pure heart, out of which no longer proceeds an “evil eye”, Origen. Six twenty-two and following, Tatian: The lamp of the body is the eye: if your eye is sound, your whole body also shall be light. But if your eye be evil, all your body shall be dark. And if the light which is in you is darkness, how great is your darkness! Be watchful that the light which is in you is not darkness. Because if your whole body is light, and has no part dark, it shall all be light, as the lamp gives light to you with its flame. The Diatessaron.

CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA: Feminine motions, dissoluteness, and luxury, are to be entirely prohibited. . . . The steps of harlotry do not lean to the truth; for they do not approach the paths of life. Her tracks are dangerous, and not easily known. The eyes especially are to be sparingly used, since it is better to slip with the feet than with the eyes. Accordingly, the Lord very summarily cures this malady: “If your eye offends you, cut it out,” He says, dragging lust up from the foundation. But languishing looks, and ogling, which is to wink with the eyes, is nothing else than to commit adultery with the eyes, lust skirmishing through them. For of the whole body, the eyes are first destroyed. “The eye contemplating beautiful objects, gladdens the heart;” that is, the eye which has learned rightly to see, gladdens. “Winking with the eye, with guile, heaps woes on men.” Such they introduce the effeminate Sardanapalus, king of the Assyrians, sitting on a couch with his legs up, fumbling at his purple robe, and casting up the whites of his eyes. Women that follow such practices, by their looks offer themselves for prostitution. “For the light of the body is the eye,” says the Scripture, by which the interior illuminated by the shining light appears. Fornication in a woman is in the raising of the eyes. Origen: To see God belongs to the pure heart, out of which no longer proceed “evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies, the evil eye,” or any other evil thing.