Light Through The Window

In chapter 11:34, Jesus tells us that the light of the body enters through the eye. Again, Jesus uses an excellent and truthful example to illustrate His point. According to an article by Ker Than, a writer for LiveScience, this is how the human eye works. You can visit the article to read it in its entirety at http://www.livescience.com/health/051128_eye_works.html, but for the sake of illustration, I will highlight the article.

The human eye belongs to a general group of eyes found in nature called “camera-type eyes.” Instead of film, the human eye focuses light onto a light sensitive membrane called the retina.

The cornea is a transparent structure found in the very front of the eye that helps to focus incoming light. Behind the cornea is a colored ring-shaped membrane called the iris. The iris has an adjustable circular opening called the pupil, which can expand or contract depending on the amount of light entering the eye. A clear fluid called the aqueous humor fills the space between the cornea and the iris.

Situated behind the pupil is a colorless, transparent structure called the crystalline lens. Ciliary muscles surround the lens. The muscles hold the lens in place but they also play an important role in vision.

When the muscles relax, they pull on and flatten the lens, allowing the eye to see objects that are far away. To see closer objects clearly, the ciliary muscle must contract in order to thicken the lens.

The interior chamber of the eyeball is filled with a jelly-like tissue called the vitreous humor. After passing through the lens, light must travel through this humor before striking the sensitive layer of cells called the retina.

The retina is the innermost of three tissue layers that make up the eye. The outermost layer, called the sclera, is what gives most of the eyeball its white color. The cornea is also a part of outer layer.

The middle layer between the retina and sclera is called the choroid. The choroid contains blood vessels that supply the retina with nutrients and oxygen and removes its waste products.

Embedded in the retina are millions of light sensitive cells, which come in two main varieties: rods and cones.

Rods are good for monochrome vision in poor light, while cones are used for color and for the detection of fine detail. Cones are packed into a part of the retina directly behind the retina called the fovea.

When light strikes either the rods or the cones of the retina, it's converted into an electric signal that is relayed to the brain via the optic nerve. The brain then translates the electrical signals into the images we see.

It is amazing to me that this man wrote this wonderful explanation of how the human eye works and Jesus summed it all up with verse 34. What we read, watch at the movies or on television and what we participate on a personal basis is all entered into our consciousness through sensory collectors like our eyes and ears.

Now, I am not one of those who says that we must cut ourselves off from things like television or movies. I do avoid visual entertainment that is blatantly offensive and at odds with God but even when I am watching something that should be all right, I am prepared to quit watching when it starts to go south and crosses the line that I have set.

There are many movies, television and radio shows that I avoid, simply because I know that my allowing them into my life, through my senses, will not help me with my walk.

To close out this particular subject, I would like to show you another article that covers a part of the point that I am trying to make. It’s source is the same website that the above article came from and can be read in its entirety when you visit the Live Science web site.

Erotic and Violent Images Cloud Vision, Study Finds

When people see violent or erotic images, they fail to process whatever they see next, according to new research.

Scientists are calling the effect "attentional rubbernecking."

“We observed that people fail to detect visual images that appeared one-fifth of a second after emotional images, whereas they can detect those images with little problem after viewing neutral images,” said Vanderbilt University psychologist David Zald.

The effect is akin to rubbernecking on the highway, Zald and his colleagues say. Your brain might suggest you watch the road ahead, but your emotions force you to look at the accident on the side of the road.

Research subjects were handed a stack of pictures that included pleasant landscapes and architectural photos. They were told to search for a particular image. Negative images were placed anywhere from two to eight spots before the search target.

The closer the negative image was to the target picture, the more frequently people failed to spot the target.

In a follow-up study, negative images were replaced by erotic shots. The effect was the same.

"This suggests that emotionally arousing images impact attention in similar ways whether they are perceived as positive or negative," said colleague Steven Most of Yale University.

The researchers suspect we can't control the effect.

"We think that there is essentially a bottleneck for information processing and if a certain type of stimulus captures attention, it can basically jam up that bottleneck so subsequent information can't get through," Zald said.

As for rubbernecking on the road, Zald has a caution:

"If you are simply driving down the road and you see something that is sexually explicit on a billboard, the odds are that it is going to capture your attention and – for a fraction of a second afterwards – you will be less able to pay attention to other information in your environment," he said.

The initial study is detailed in the August issue of the journal Psychonomic Bulletin and Review. The follow-up research has not been published.

In reading Luke 11:33 through 35, we find that the teachings of Jesus are not only of value from a moral standpoint, but in their simplicity, explain the complicated nature of the human creation and His explanation of how the mind and body works.

Those that believe that Jesus was just another holy man or prophet, miss this opportunity to appreciate His insight as the Creator as well as the Savior.

A Little More Light On The Subject

Moving on to chapter 11, verse 33, Jesus gives us an example of just how simple His message is. In this verse He states that it would be illogical to light a candle and then place that candle under a bed. He is telling us that light exists to overcome darkness and if we have light, we should use it and not waste it. It is obvious that Christ is comparing the candle to His word. If we look at the examples of light and darkness in practical terms, we can really grasp why Jesus uses this comparison to make His point.

I remember while serving in Viet Nam, the darkest place I had ever been in my young life and if you were in total darkness, in the presence of the enemy, and someone set off a flare accidentally, the light was startling. Other than that example, I can’t think of a time when it was bad to have light over darkness.

The light of the candle in this example is the word of God. As that light goes outward, it recovers the surrounding darkness and the higher it is held, it becomes more effective in its task. It is no coincidence that Jesus uses light as an example of something good when we consider one of the Creators greatest gifts to us is a process known as photosynthesis.

The word, photosynthesis, is derived from the Greek (photo) “light,” and (synthesis), “placing with.” The process is a series of enzyme-catalyzed steps for the conversion of light energy into chemical energy by living organisms. Its initial substrates are carbon dioxide and water; the energy source is light (electromagnetic radiation); and the end-products are oxygen and (energy-containing) carbohydrates, such as sucrose, glucose or starch.

This process is arguably the most important biochemical pathway, since nearly all life on Earth either directly or indirectly depends on it.

It is a complex process occurring in higher plants, algae, as well as bacteria such as cyanobacteria. Organisms that are treated by photosynthesis are also referred to as photo autotrophs.

I was able to obtain the above information from Wikipedia and if you would like more information on the subject, you may go to the following web page http://en.wikipedia. org/wiki/ Photosynthesis.

When Jesus speaks of light, He speaks of the truth and clarity of His word and how essential it is for our spiritual survival. A liberating point in your life will be, or has been, when we realize that Jesus is that essential source that gives you confidence and comfort in His light and word.

Nineveh Judgement

In verse 29 Jesus warns us that, as a whole, the majority of our society have and will continue to reject Him and His word. Luke relays to us a scenario on our literal judgement day that we will have historical figures like the queen of Sheba testify against those who reject God. Luke also includes the citizens of Nineveh in that chorus who will condemn the unbelieving generations.

Now, to be condemned by the citizens of Nineveh would be like having a Las Vegas casino owner lecturing you on your bad habits. Their redeeming quality, in God’s eyes, was their willingness to repent openly for their sins. We think that what we are doing is fine and feel sorry for everyone else because we know that they are doing it wrong. There is little open repentance in our society or the modern American church.

From a historical standpoint, Nineveh was a prosperous city that literally connected the eastern and western world at that time. The city was located on a level plain near a major highway that connected the trade route between the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean on the Tigris river. The mounds of this ancient city are close to the Iraqi city that is now known as Mosul. The city was probably founded by Nimrod, the great grandson of Noah

In and about the year 612 BC, the Medes (Iranians) along with the Susianians and the Babylonians attacked Nineveh and burned it to the ground. It isn’t until recent history, when the remains of the city were found, that people realized that the city of Nineveh actually existed. The reason for this was that the only historical reference for its existence prior to that was in the bible, specifically in Genesis 10:11.

Several things came to my attention while writing this particular section. We need to repent as a church and a nation, to God, for our transgressions before Him. The second thing that struck me is that the Iranians and the Iraqis have been fighting each other for thousands of years and how the modern city edition of Nineveh, Mosul, is still in the news. Lastly, the words of the bible are true and in time, all will be revealed.

We Are Family

Going on in Luke 11:27, a woman cried out something to the effect that, the mother of Jesus should be blessed because she made it possible for Him to be there on that particular day, preaching to the crowd. Jesus responded by saying that, as blessed as His mother was for doing that, we who hear His word and put it into practice, are equally blessed.

As I said before, I was raised in the Catholic church and Mary, the mother of Jesus is held in very high esteem, to say the least. I think that it is natural for us to think that Mary would be more loved by God because of her unique position as His earthly mother. After all, Mary is technically the very first person to (literally and figuratively) accept who Jesus is. Logic tells us that without someone of Mary’s character and belief system, you have no completed and Godly plan. Now, if God built human robots who did His bidding without thought, you could argue that Mary had no choice but to succumb to God’s plan. The reality is that God creates us (including Mary) to have a free will so as to accept or reject what we want. It is very likely that God gave more than Mary an opportunity to live for Him and was probably rejected just like He gives all mankind a chance to live for Him and faces the same amount of rejection.

We, like Mary had and have a choice in deciding what we will live for. It is those believers that Jesus said, (to paraphrase) “yes, my mother is a great person and should be blessed for what she has done for me in this life, but equally important are you, the believers in me through my word and who puts those words into practice”

With Him or Against Him

Verse 23 of chapter 11, states a simple fact regarding who Jesus is and our relationship with Him. He basically says that if we are not for Him, we are against Him. These are damning words to a modern world who, is at best, non committal.

I was talking to an acquaintance one day and asked him what he would do if Jesus were to walk up to him upon His return to earth. The man thought, and replied that he would probably invite Jesus in for a cup of coffee and in keeping with a life long skeptical attitude towards God, he would “engage” Jesus in a bantering conversation.

Not to bust his bubble, I explained that the Jesus that is coming back will in no way resemble the Jesus who was hung on a tree. The bible (Revelation 19:14) says that He will come the second time on a white horse leading an army of angels, intent upon defeating Satan and all of his minions here on earth and to claim the earth as His own and rule for a millennium with His followers in perfect peace (Revelation 20:4-6).

This tepid world will respond with exclamations of “I know you, I passed by your church in my town everyday”, “ Others that I knew spoke badly of You and your believers, but not me. I didn’t say anything”, “ I never had time to really think about it” or “My parents believed in You, does that count?.” It will be like standing in a whirlwind, the panicked words coming out of our mouths will not be discernable from the ambient noise while our present day, confirming words of faith in who Jesus is, will speak volumes at that time of world judgement and be recognized by our Redeemer.

In the quiet of this day, at this time, you are either for Him or against Him. A very important decision, which is it?