Narrow Eye Narrow Gate

Narrow Eye Narrow Gate

“The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.” Matthew 6:22–23

The eye is the gateway to the soul. Jesus said, “You are the light of the world.” And as He is, so are we. The light we host and carry shines through the eye, the pathway to the inner man, the place of our deepest identities. When we look upon a soul, we see their whole nature, their body in full. Light emits from both the body and the eye. But when we gaze into another’s eye, defenses arise for some, while for others, it is a walking gateway — a place of transparency and openness, declaring, “My inner man, the house of who I am, all that dwells within me, I share with you.”

Let the light we possess be cast out through the eye into the world without. The world around us may seek to choke our light, but our light breaks the netting, piercing the walls and defenses of others. The eye is a doorway to our state of being, revealing who we are and how earnest our connection to others is. A narrow eye suggests stability, confidence, and peace. A broad eye reflects a liberal state, marked by confusion and chaos.

In many cultures and among various people groups, it is considered a dishonor to look into another’s eye, into the deep places of who they are. But I say Jesus broke those customs. He preached against those vices. Jesus crossed over, opening His heart and His inner courts, revealing His kinship with the Father. So are we to do the same? We are called to be transparent and vulnerable, letting our light so shine before men that it glorifies the Father in heaven. Our light should blaze on the highest hill, emitting truth, grace, and life.

When you are with another soul, don’t merely study their eye. Strike a bond, a tie, a union. A fair exchange takes place when eyes lock. If another is in dismay, grief, shame, or confusion, you can see it in the broadness of their pupil, the blackness of their eye. But a brother in a state of peace, stability, and confidence in both their nature and their God will have a narrow eye, like a gate. Jesus said, “Narrow is the gate to heaven, broad is the way to hell.” The eye, in whatever state it may be, is a cue, a definite marker of the soul’s condition and how the spirit finds truth.

Like a home where we welcome guests, family from afar, we lay down our defenses and walls. We invite them into the innermost parts of who we are, sharing food, drink, and memories. That is the way of Pentecost, the way of Christ, the way of His followers. What is ours — our gift, our identity — is meant to be shared. If our eyes track left and right, up and down, all around, perhaps we are not rooted in who we are in Christ. But if our eyes are calm, even as the tempest of lies rages, as the waves of the world threaten to choke us and wash us onto distant shores, I tell you, my friends, Jesus was calm. His eye was narrowed, equal to His confidence in the Father, His faith that His nature was tethered to the Father. So are our lives tethered to the Father.

Let our eyes be single, like a narrow gate. Let us fix on each other, exchanging who we are by locking eyes. Let the gateway to our souls be open, so others can see the gift, the Father, the light in us. Let us not be ashamed of who we are anymore.

Godspeed, my friends🕊️