“Good eye, good eye now…”
Much of what Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount is direct, and to the point. He says what he means and means what he says. It’s challenging for sure, but not very confusing.
Until chapter 6:22-23 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.…..”
So how am I to know if my eye is “good” or my eye is “bad”? How do I get a good eye and avoid a bad eye?
We gotta take off our Western cultural lenses and put on Middle Eastern lenses to see and understand what Jesus is talking about. His audience that day was 1st-century Jews, oppressed, sandal-clad weary people who followed Jehovah God but were curious about this new rogue Rabbi. They would have immediately understood this cultural phrase. This common Jewish idiom is still used in the Middle East today.
The phrase “has a good eye” means a generous person—someone whose eyes see needs, and who takes action to bless. Not surprisingly, the verses immediately preceding and following verses 22-23 refer to money. To have a “good eye” is to be generous. To have a bad eye is to be stingy, tightfisted, someone who ignores people's needs, one unwilling and not wanting to share.
I’ve known a dear friend for close to 40 years. He’s part of the Emmanuel Faith family. He has a good eye, the most generous man I’ve ever known. He wasn’t raised with money. He wasn’t raised with faith. He became a Christian in his mid-thirties when a friendly stranger at McDonald’s asked him if he’d ever read the Bible, and if he wanted to know about Jesus.
Over the years, I’ve often watched this man open his wallet and give away large wads of cash—without even thinking of counting it. He’s funded college educations for other people’s kids. Yes, he’s generous to his own family—but he’s also generous to missions, ministries, churches, and individuals—His generosity blesses people he doesn’t know and will never meet. He’s not just generous. He honestly loves being generous. It’s not a mental decision….but a heart gushing with joyful gratitude for our generous God and Savior.
Are you known by friends and family, your church community, as someone with a good eye? Jesus is saying your generosity…..or lack thereof…..your whole body is gonna follow that.
Proverbs 22:9 “Whoever has a good eye will be blessed…..
I don’t know about you, but I want a good eye.
Donielle Winter
EFCC Member
What a Reward!
I think most of us like the idea of a reward coming as the result of hard work, overcoming an obstacle, or a great accomplishment. As a kid, reciting verses on Wednesday nights was a source of great reward. I can remember getting in the car after Wednesday night Kids Clubs and proudly telling my mom or dad, “I said my verse!” This was their cue to drive to Winchell’s and promptly buy me the donut of my choice - my reward for saying my verse.
So what was I really striving for? Was it the actual reward, the donut, the satisfaction of having accomplished something significant, or the reality that I was drawing closer to God through memorizing Scripture? My eight-year-old self would have probably said the donut! But my adult self has a far different perspective.
Matthew 6:1,3&4 says, “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven…But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” This “righteousness” not only applies to deeds that we do for others but also to deeds that we do in the presence of others. This is a warning against allowing our acts of “righteousness” to be driven by the expectation of receiving a reward.
So is it wrong to desire a reward? And how do we diminish or control that desire? Praise be to God for his patience! Our patient God recognizes that even our self-focused, reward-seeking motives are on a journey. As Scripture sinks in and we take the time to not just memorize it, but allow its truth to impact how we live, we begin to see how our good deeds impact others and draw us closer to the God that we are serving.
I believe this is the true meaning of Psalm 37:4, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” When we delight in the Lord, our motives turn away from the need for recognition or a physical reward, and our hearts begin to move in sync with the heart of Jesus. Delighting in the Lord is desiring him first and foremost. It is denying self and asking God to be the one who shapes our desires. As we delight in our relationship with our Creator, he crafts the desires that lie deep within us to become aligned with his perfect design. When this happens, the so-called rewards that are used to motivate fade away.
Consider pondering before the Lord the following questions: “What motivates me… really?” “Am I more focused on loving others or being seen loving others?” Your God delights in you! Ask him today to give you a heart that delights in him.
Lynette Fuson
Care & Counseling Director
Becoming Generosity
If you truly think about it, a left hand trying to keep what it’s doing a secret from the right hand is a silly thought. Jesus uses this as an example and He might just be doing it to get a giggle (or at least a smirk) out of his followers. “But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing” (Matthew 6:3). Knowing that Jesus wouldn’t waste a word and that this was a teaching moment, what is it that He wants to get across? How would this even be physically possible?
As I type this message, I unknowingly have given myself a possible clue. Typing is something that has become instinctual. I don’t have to think about where the keys are and which finger is going to make the stretch to hit the ‘shift’ button to make a capital letter… it just happens. Why? Because someone taught me and I put in the hours staring at the flashing green cursor blinking on the black screen practicing the keystrokes. It was difficult until it wasn’t because the skill of typing had become integrated and natural—I have become a typist.
I think Jesus is suggesting that his followers (then and now) should practice responding to the needs of others again and again so that it becomes instinctual and they become generous people. The practice of giving benefits the one in need, but in turn, the giver reaps massive benefits. A quick Google search shows health benefits such as lower blood pressure, less depression, and a longer life! But the greatest benefit that Google failed to identify is a deepened sense of trust in a loving generous Father. A life marked by moment after moment of tangible experience of God’s provision is a life where perfect love has cast out all fear.
In what ways can you practice becoming a person of generosity today? Might God be asking you to give up your time? Or to respond to a financial need or give away your skills to serve? Whatever it is, allow the words of Jesus to teach you to live in His way and with His heart. Put the words of Jesus into practice until they are fully integrated into the person you have become.
Jessica Klootwyk
Discipleship Director
Secret Generosity - Matthew 6:1
I remember our boys were so excited to put money in the offering. I remember our middle son hearing about children having no toys and wanting to give them all of his. Pure hearts giving out of love.
Storing up treasures in heaven is investing in the kingdom of God. It's knowing that your giving is one of the ways that God reaches others and changes lives. I love how Mark Batterson says, "Your generosity is someone else's miracle." When you give, you don't know how God will use your generosity, but you can know God will work! It’s generosity with no intention of getting something in return.
Your giving is 100% between you and God. That's why Jesus returns to the heart of the matter. What we treasure is shown in what and how we give. What we treasure will show if we serve our money or if we use our money to serve God.
Two key things to remember:
Generous people give with eternity in mind.
Generous people give from the heart.
Jesus presses in on the crowd to deal with the hypocrisy that lives within them and likely us. What was the hypocrisy? Doing things for God, only to be seen by others. The hyper-religious in Jesus' day wanted their generosity to be seen and celebrated by others. They wanted their prayers heard and noted by others. They practiced their righteousness for others' attention and applause and as Jesus put it, they received their reward in full. No reward for their generosity. No action on their prayers.
Why is this? They weren't giving to God. They weren't praying to God. They weren't living for an audience of one - God. They were living to be seen and known by the crowds. That's why Jesus reminds us to keep our hearts right by practicing our acts of righteousness like giving and praying in secret. Because the things done in secret are no secret to God. He sees. He hears. He acts. He blesses.
Deb Hill
Executive Assistant
Same Game. New Coach. Better Rules.
If you’re a serious sports-watching fan, October is among the best months of the year. College football is in full swing, and FBS rankings unexpectedly change every weekend. NFL star players are mostly healthy and teams’ playoff hopes are high. And if baseball is your game, it’s continuous playoff games leading up to the World Series.
But every competitive sport hugely relies on one single factor. Fairness. At every level of sports, from 4-year-olds soccer to athletes making millions, fairness governs every game. Referees, coaches, and players all follow the rulebook. Because playing “fair and square” allows the game to be fun.
We’re hard-wired to want fairness. We’re made in the image of God who is perfectly just; so it feels right and good when things are fair. In Matthew 5, Jesus knew his audience was familiar with… “eye for eye and tooth for tooth fairness.”
Here’s a fuller picture, quoting the Law found in Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy… “Show no pity, life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, fracture for fracture, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise. As he has injured the other, so he is to be injured.”
Believe it or not, those commands were “fair”—the law defended the innocent and limited retaliation to an “even-steven” kind of standard.
Until Emmanuel, God with us, stepped onto the field preaching the Good News of the Kingdom. He’d come full of grace and truth. He’d come with a blessing for the merciful….that they would be shown mercy. Jesus, whose referee authority trumped every teacher of the Law, had come with a revised playbook; he put better rules in place because the game of life is played differently in the Kingdom.
In the Kingdom, you don’t retaliate, you don’t hurt someone who’s hurt you. You forgive. In the Kingdom, if someone sues you or takes something possession that belongs to you, you let it go, thinking—maybe they need it more than me…how else can I bless them? In the Kingdom, if someone treats you harshly, unfairly demanding much from you, you give them way more than they ever would have expected. Because like their King, Kingdom people love. They are generous, forgiving, and kind. Kingdom people don’t fight for fairness but instead, willingly relinquish their rights. Kingdom people have a King they call Father, a King who loves them as sons and daughters, a heavenly King who is….. literally……perfect.
And out of an extravagant love for us….he calls His kids to look just like him.
What an honor.
Donielle Winter EFCC Member
"Perfect Love"
"You are to be perfect, even as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:48).” But what does this "perfection" look like? Jesus isn't asking us to achieve flawlessness overnight. Instead, He's inviting us to embody the lavish love, sacrifice, and generosity that defines our Heavenly Father. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus helps to paint a picture of what perfection looks like… there’s an art to it!
Imagine you are a painter, meticulously dipping into the colors of perfection the Father gave. Each color represents an aspect of God’s character that, as His image bearers, we are meant to display. Our lives are the 'canvas' stretched wide to accommodate the needs of others, releasing the grip of control, embracing the messiness of relationships, and accepting the uncertainty of outcomes.
The art of becoming perfect requires actions like our Father, who "causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous" (Matthew 5:45). With each stroke, we are brushing strokes of kindness, compassion, generosity, and forgiveness onto the canvas. When it’s all completed, the perfect masterpiece looks like love. Perfect because of our willingness to love without condition, sacrifice without expectation, and give without measure. Put this love on display one day at a time.
Jessica Klootwtyk
Discipleship Director
Power Walk, Mathew 5:41
In college, I took a course on Ancient Roman History. As a history major, I wanted to take classes that piqued my interest and could keep my attention. The first day was pretty basic, syllabus, structure, readings, etc . . . and I was a little nervous that my expectations were not going to be met. I arrived hopeful for the second class and as we all sat waiting since our professor was late, I thought maybe this was a sign to transfer classes. The door burst open! A Roman soldier comes running through yelling in Latin, “Exitus Acta Probat”. The class turned out to be better than I expected.
In the days of Matthew 5:41, a Roman soldier could command someone to carry their gear for a mile (1,000 paces). Jesus of course tells his followers, if they are asked, carry it two miles! It is easy for us to get frustrated at that thought, but instead of putting yourself in the sandals of the person being told to carry someone's gear (which would have weighed around 100 pounds!) put yourself in the soldier's shoes..
Most of the time you are forcing people to do something uncomfortable, you are making them serve you, you are having them do something somewhat demeaning. While it has become a practice for you and your fellow soldiers, you do this to show your authority and power over someone else. Imagine that for just a moment. Have you ever done that in some way in modern times? Maybe you make your kids do tasks to show your power as a parent, maybe it is your way of training someone, or maybe it is to hide your insecurities. Whatever the reason, how does that kind of action reflect the beatitudes, or reflect the love of Christ? Now imagine that person smiling, continuing to walk under the weight, doing a demeaning task, but with hope and joy.
I don’t like to put myself in that position, even if it's an imaginary scenario. Taking a moment to reflect on both sides of the scenario that Jesus gives us, is an invitation to act differently or correct some of our actions if we need to. It allows us to step in with Jesus to restore humanity and dignity. It allows us to bring unity and peace to our community. So take some time to understand both perspectives and let Jesus speak to you through these verses.
Pastor Jeremy Johnson
Preserve Dignity by Going Above and Beyond
The boss called a team meeting to announce new policies for dealing with customers at the store.
New Policies:
If a customer is irate and hits you on one side of the face, say to them, “My pleasure” and be sure they hit the other side too.
When customers try to steal winter coats, give them shirts to wear too.
If a customer needs help getting items loaded in their car, offer free delivery and home installation.
If somebody wants an item but can’t afford it, give it to them for free.
Always loan out tools or money, even if you know they will never be returned.
Love our competitors' stores.
When customers leave bad reviews, don’t reply online, just talk to God about them.
The store employees couldn’t believe this list was serious. After the boss insisted that these policies came from headquarters and would be in place moving forward, the employees began to complain: “These will lead to terrible working conditions.” “I wouldn't have taken this job if I’d known.” “These policies will make our jobs unsafe and the store unsustainable.”
Jesus tells his followers to live like that in Matthew 5:39-44.
Policies that make for a bad environment in the workplace, where the company and employees are in control, actually help believers take some control in situations where the world is out to get them. Going above and beyond with others preserves or adds dignity where dignity is challenged or questioned.
Author, filmmaker, and preacher Bill Muir told the story of a Southern California Seminary President who was meeting colleagues for lunch at a Denny’s type restaurant on a hot summer day. Upon arriving at the restaurant, he removed his suit coat and tie, left them in the car, and rolled up his sleeves as he walked through the parking lot. When he entered he saw the group he was meeting already seated and he headed towards them. An older woman reached out as he passed her table and asked him to fill up her coffee. She assumed he was a busboy at the restaurant. Without skipping a beat. He found the drink station nearby, picked up a pot of coffee, quickly filled her cup, and asked if there was anything else he could do for the folks at the table. One of his colleagues noticed him getting the coffee and asked, “Why did you do that? Why didn’t you explain who you were?” His answer was, “You know how much of a servant you are based on how you respond when treated like one.”
Our dignity and position are solidified in Christ and the ways we express his life, love, and sacrifice to others. Believers serve God by giving more than expected or asked. God is our boss, not the bullies, jerks, or rude people we get to care for and win over by going the extra mile.
Pastor John Riley
Preparing Grace
Grace and I pulled up to a restaurant. This would be the first time we’d go to a sit-down joint together. We had been dating for a few years, and it was date night. I felt a wave of sorrow roll over me as I knew I had to prepare her for the eventuality that she’d be mistaken for an occupational caretaker. We talked about how strangers perceived me before, but she hadn’t experienced it yet.
The waitress introduced herself, glanced at me once, and engaged only with Grace. Fair enough, it's less of a hassle for me. But she came back, and in chatting with Grace, she said, “It’s great that you take him out.” Grace dispatched that notion with great efficiency, “He’s my boyfriend.” she stated with stone-cold factual clarity. I sat there and watched this poor girl realize her error. She looked at me, and I sheepishly smiled back. Grace was furious, which felt strangely cathartic.
I remember feeling pure outrage, realizing what people assumed about me and the implications therein. I’d do all I could to prove my intelligence to reclaim my stolen personhood. It was all very exhausting! I had to make peace with the fact I present the way I do. People assume stuff about me, but being honest, I would too if the roles were swapped. When I am misjudged, I get it now. I understand. Retaliation is out of place. Upon realization, people can feel embarrassment and shame, and I’ve found ways to minimize that.
Being prepared for it is a game changer because then you’re not reacting out of anger. You can even prepare for it and have specially curated responses. While misunderstandings like this require patience, I recognize that some people face real malice, and for that, we can look to Jesus, who endured true cruelty with unimaginable grace, even on the cross.
Our poor waitress didn't say much and didn’t leave room for conversation. I think I could’ve managed the situation better. But that was my girlfriend's, now wife’s, first tango with that whole thing. We’ve since got a pretty good system down. At the end of the day, it’s not actually about correcting every misunderstanding. It’s about being like Jesus and learning to respond like he would.
Jonathan Duncan
EFCC Member
Yes and Amen
There’s a newish song that we’ve been singing in some of our services entitled Take You At Your Word. I love the chorus of the song. The lyrics read,
I'll take You at Your word
If You said it, I'll believe it
I've seen how good it works
If You start it, You'll complete it
I'll take You at Your word
Over the last week, we’ve been studying what it means for us to be people of honesty; people of our word. However, as this song reminded me, our great hope is that God is a God of his word. What he says he will do.
That was Paul’s statement to the church in Corinth. He wrote to them and said,
20 For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. (2 Corinthians 1:20)
Jesus is the way God fulfills all of his promises to us. Through Jesus our sins are forgiven, we are made right with our Heavenly Father, we are adopted into the family of God, we are sealed for redemption, and we are promised eternal life. God’s eternal “yes” to us will never cease because of the work of Jesus. As the hymn writer Edward Mote penned,
His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.
Jesus is our hope and stay and we can have confidence that in him is God’s yes and amen.
We need to remember that even when we fail and fall short of the expectations we have for ourselves, God will never fail. If he said it he will do it . . . and he has done it in Christ. Jesus doesn’t call us to live with honesty and integrity so that we earn something from God. No, living with honesty and integrity increases our ability to live in the Kingdom of God, experience his freedom, and taste his joy. However, everything that needed to be earned was won by Jesus on the cross. You can take God at his word.
Pastor Ryan Paulson
