“The light of the body
is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single[1]
[GR healthy, sincere, without guile], 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!” (Matthew 6:22-23).
We see with two eyes – one physical and one spiritual. “[T]he
spiritual eye sees by spiritual light; if then man’s spiritual eye be single,
that is, pure and undimmed by sin, he is filled with the light that shall show
him the way to God; whereas if his soul’s eye be evil, he will be as one full
of darkness … Those whom the Master was addressing had received of the light of
God; the degree of belief they had already professed was proof of that. Should
they turn from the great emprise on which they had embarked, the light would be
lost, and the succeeding darkness would be denser than that from which they had
been relieved.”[2]
“He that keepeth his commandments receiveth truth and light,
until he is glorified in truth and knoweth all things…
“The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light
and truth.
“Light and truth forsake that evil one” (D&C 93:28,
36-37).
“No man can serve two
masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will
hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon”
(Matthew 6:24).
In our lives, we must choose whom we will serve – God or the
devil; light or darkness. Alma taught…
“Behold, I say unto you, that the good shepherd doth call
you; yea, and in his own name he doth call you, which is the name of Christ;
and if ye will not hearken unto the voice of the good shepherd, to the name by
which ye are called, behold, ye are not the sheep of the good shepherd.
“And now if ye are not the sheep of the good shepherd, of
what fold are ye? Behold, I say unto you, that the devil is your shepherd, and
ye are of his fold; and now, who can deny this? Behold, I say unto you,
whosoever denieth this is a liar and a child of the devil.
“For I say unto you that whatsoever is good cometh from God,
and whatsoever is evil cometh from the devil.
“Therefore, if a man bringeth forth good works he hearkeneth
unto the voice of the good shepherd, and he doth follow him; but whosoever
bringeth forth evil works, the same becometh a child of the devil, for he
hearkeneth unto his voice, and doth follow him.
“And whosoever doeth this must receive his wages of him;
therefore, for his wages he receiveth death, as to things pertaining unto
righteousness, being dead unto all good works” (Alma 5:38-42).
“When people try to save face with men, they can unwittingly
lose face with God. Thinking one can please God and at the same time condone
the disobedience of men isn’t neutrality but duplicity, or being two-faced or
trying to “serve two masters” (Matthew 6:24; 3 Nephi 13:24).”[3]
“We cannot keep one foot in the Church and one foot in the
world. One reason is the world and the Church are rapidly diverging. We will
lose our balance. We know that ‘no man can serve two masters.’ Some, I fear,
are attempting to do what President Marion G. Romney described as trying to ‘serve
the Lord without offending the devil.’”[4]
“Therefore I say unto
you, Take no thought [GR anxious, concern] for your life, what ye shall eat, or
what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the
life more than meat, and the body than raiment” (Matthew 6:25).[5]
In all that we do, we are to place our trust in the Lord. “Cast
thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the
righteous to be moved” (Psalms 55:22).
Paul taught the Philippians, “Be careful[6]
for nothing [GR Don’t be unduly concerned about anything]; but in every thing
by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known
unto God” (Philippians 4:6).
He promises us, if we do this, He will take care of us.
Behold the fowls of
the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet
your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
Which of you by taking
thought can add one cubit unto his stature (Matthew 6:26-27).
And why take ye thought
for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not,
neither do they spin:
And yet I say unto
you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Wherefore, if God so
clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the
oven,[7]
shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith
“Therefore take no
thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal
shall we be clothed?
“(For after all these
things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have
need of all these things.” (Matthew 6:26-32).
These words were addressed to the twelve and the
seventy. “The weakness of faith was
reproved in the reminder that the Father who cared even for the grass of the
field, which one day flourishes and on the next is gathered up to be burned,
would not fail to remember His own.”[8]
“Jesus cited the lessons of nature to illustrate His truths.
If all creation was in God’s hands, how much more so the leaders of His
Kingdom!”[9]
“But seek ye first the
kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these
things shall be added unto you.[10]
“Take therefore no
thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of
itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof” (Matthew 6:33-34).
After making it clear He would take care of them, they are
to seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Paul emphasized this in his
epistle to the Colossians. “Set your affection [GR mind] on things above, not
on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:2). Solomon advised us, “He that
followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and
honour” (Proverbs 21:21).
[1] The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine
eye be single to the glory of God,
thy whole body shall be full of light (JST Matthew 6:22).
[2] Jesus the Christ, Elder James E. Talmage, Chapter 17.
[3] Which
Way Do You Face, Elder Lynn G. Robbins, October 2014 General Conference.
[5] “And, again, I
say unto you, Go ye into the world, and care not for the world; for the world
will hate you, and will persecute you, and will turn you out of their
synagogues.
“Nevertheless, ye shall go forth from house to house,
teaching the people; and I will go before you.
“And your heavenly Father will provide for you,
whatsoever things ye need for food, what ye shall eat; and for raiment, what ye
shall wear or put on” (JST, Matthew
6:25-27).
[6] “Be afflicted
for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving
let your requests be made known unto God” (JST Philippians 4:6).
[7] Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field,
which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven how much more will he not provide for you, if ye are not of little
faith? (JST Matthew 6:34).
[8] Jesus the Christ, Elder James E. Talmage, Chapter 17.
[9] From Bethlehem
to the Sermon on the Mount, A Reading on the Sermon on the Mount: A Restoration
Perspective, Andrew C. Skinner.
[10] “Wherefore,
seek not the things of this world but seek ye first to build up the kingdom of God, and to establish his righteousness all these things shall be added unto
you” (JST Matthew 6:38).
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