Jesus said, "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?" (Matthew 6:22-24)
Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, "I am the light of the world: he that follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." (John 8:12)
And the windows of heaven were opened! (Genesis 7:11)
Our focus today pertains to the window of our hearts, and whether we desire the entrance of the Word of God -- His goodness and grace and mercy -- His love that abounds beyond the constraints of this world. And how, when we follow Jesus as the Light of the world, we no longer walk in darkness, but as He states, we shall have the light of life dwelling within. His Spirit, His Word, His magnificence and majesty shining forth -- as we hand over the reigns of our hearts to the King of kings and Lord of lords.
It is from perspective that we study windows -- from a scriptural perspective. In the natural, we understand that windows primarily serve dual purposes. We can see the inside of a dwelling for example by peering through a window. We can also witness what is happening on the outside by looking through the glass from an inner sanctuary. In some ways, windows offer a form of protection against the elements of the outside world. Conversely, we can witness (and even partake?) in the activities that are on the outside -- because of what we are witnessing through the window.
In many ways, the scriptures have the power to do the same. We can simply read through the verses on a page of the Bible and glean what is being stated, without any deep meditation or reflection. Or, we can willingly ask the Lord Jesus to invite us to enter through the glass -- the partition that stands between us -- and allow Him to remove the blindness from our eyes -- so that we can proclaim the words (like the song) with surety -- "I can see clearly now!"
In Matthew 6, Jesus went up into a mountain with His disciples, with the intent of teaching them. Herein, Jesus shares what we recognize as the Beatitudes. He teaches that we are the salt of the earth. He speaks about His purpose -- to redeem us, and that "except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 6:20)
Within these teachings, Jesus instructs the disciples not to lay up treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal ... but instead to lay up for ourselves treasures in heaven -- where moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal -- "for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (Matthew 6:21; Luke 12:34)
It is herein as well that Jesus goes on to share that the light of the body is the eye, and when thine eye be single, thy whole body is full of light. (Matthew 6:22)
Whose light? The light that is Jesus -- who is both Lord and Christ. (Acts 2:36)
In the scriptures, we see numerous examples of windows. There is the oft cited incident where a certain young man falls asleep and falls to the ground from a the third loft while apostle Paul is preaching.
"And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together. And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead. And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, "Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him." (Acts 20:8-10)
And the windows of heaven were opened! (Genesis 7:11)
Our focus today pertains to the window of our hearts, and whether we desire the entrance of the Word of God -- His goodness and grace and mercy -- His love that abounds beyond the constraints of this world. And how, when we follow Jesus as the Light of the world, we no longer walk in darkness, but as He states, we shall have the light of life dwelling within. His Spirit, His Word, His magnificence and majesty shining forth -- as we hand over the reigns of our hearts to the King of kings and Lord of lords.
It is from perspective that we study windows -- from a scriptural perspective. In the natural, we understand that windows primarily serve dual purposes. We can see the inside of a dwelling for example by peering through a window. We can also witness what is happening on the outside by looking through the glass from an inner sanctuary. In some ways, windows offer a form of protection against the elements of the outside world. Conversely, we can witness (and even partake?) in the activities that are on the outside -- because of what we are witnessing through the window.
In many ways, the scriptures have the power to do the same. We can simply read through the verses on a page of the Bible and glean what is being stated, without any deep meditation or reflection. Or, we can willingly ask the Lord Jesus to invite us to enter through the glass -- the partition that stands between us -- and allow Him to remove the blindness from our eyes -- so that we can proclaim the words (like the song) with surety -- "I can see clearly now!"
In Matthew 6, Jesus went up into a mountain with His disciples, with the intent of teaching them. Herein, Jesus shares what we recognize as the Beatitudes. He teaches that we are the salt of the earth. He speaks about His purpose -- to redeem us, and that "except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 6:20)
Within these teachings, Jesus instructs the disciples not to lay up treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal ... but instead to lay up for ourselves treasures in heaven -- where moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal -- "for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (Matthew 6:21; Luke 12:34)
It is herein as well that Jesus goes on to share that the light of the body is the eye, and when thine eye be single, thy whole body is full of light. (Matthew 6:22)
Whose light? The light that is Jesus -- who is both Lord and Christ. (Acts 2:36)
In the scriptures, we see numerous examples of windows. There is the oft cited incident where a certain young man falls asleep and falls to the ground from a the third loft while apostle Paul is preaching.
"And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together. And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead. And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, "Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him." (Acts 20:8-10)
In this case, the man did not lose his life.
In a second example, Daniel makes a point of opening the window toward Jerusalem when praying - when ordered not to pray for a period of 30 days by the king. (Daniel 6:10) And then there is Noah. who preached for 120 years while building an ark. In the 600th year of Noah's life, all the fountains of the great deep were broken up and the windows of heaven were opened. (Genesis 7:11)
"And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters asswaged; the fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained; and the waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated." (Genesis 8:2-3)
In a second example, Daniel makes a point of opening the window toward Jerusalem when praying - when ordered not to pray for a period of 30 days by the king. (Daniel 6:10) And then there is Noah. who preached for 120 years while building an ark. In the 600th year of Noah's life, all the fountains of the great deep were broken up and the windows of heaven were opened. (Genesis 7:11)
"And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters asswaged; the fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained; and the waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated." (Genesis 8:2-3)
After 40 days, Noah opened the window of the ark and sent forth a raven, which went to and fro until the waters dried up from the earth. (Genesis 8:5-7)
Then there is the woman who hid the two men sent out by Joshua -- who bound the scarlet line in the window.
And a second woman Michal who let David down through a window as an escape from old testament Saul who sought to smite David with the javelin.
Note that this is the same Michal who watched David through the window, dancing before the Lord and despised him in her heart. (II Samuel 6:16; I Chronicles 15:29)
Apostle Paul himself was let down in a basket through a window when the governor under Aretas wanted to apprehend him.
"In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me: and through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands." (II Corinthians 11:32-33)
The prophets Ezekiel, Joel, Daniel, Isaiah, Zephaniah and Jeremiah also make references to windows from the perspective of events that will happen in the future -- a subject for another day. And then there is the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi, which in and of itself should give us strength and encouragement.
This is our hope! Yes, the Lord Jesus has a plan and purpose for your life! He has not abandoned us (as some might suggest) but is instead, forever inviting us into His presence. As the psalmist David points out, seek the Lord, and His strength: seek His face evermore. Remember His marvellous works that He has done; His wonders wherein the Lord increases His people greatly, and makes them stronger than their enemies. (Psalm 105:24)
His name is JESUS, for He shall save His people from their sins. (Matthew 1:21-23)
Stand in the offering plate.
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