Even people who are not psychiatrists, or who have no experience as a psychiatric patient, are familiar with the Rorschach test—also known as the “inkblot test.” A person is shown a series of symmetrical inkblots and asked, “What does this look like to you?” Or, “What do you see here?” Of course, the inkblots could be anything, so whatever the person says is likely a projection of their mental state. For example, if the person identifies the series of inkblots as kittens, flowers, and an ice cream sundae, their mind is probably at peace. However, if they see skulls, wolves, and atomic explosions, it may be a sign of emotional distress.
The basic principle behind the Rorschach test can help us understand one of the trickier parts of the Sermon on the Mount. After his remarks about our treasure, and before his warnings about wealth, Jesus speaks about the importance of our eyes. He says, “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body is full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness.” To modern readers, this business about eyes, light, and darkness sounds both odd and out of place within a discussion of treasure, money, and greed, but to Jesus’ ancient audience, the connection would have been clear.
Throughout the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus has been focused on our inner orientation because it determines our outward behavior. Remember, he shifted from the command against murder (external) to the danger of anger (internal). And he pivoted from the sin of adultery (external) to the sin of lust (internal). He makes the same move here regarding wealth, but using the ancient world’s odd understanding of anatomy.
We know the eye is an organ that allows light to enter our bodies, making sight possible, but in the ancient world, it was thought that sight was a process by which light passed out of the body through the eyes. Jesus is referencing this common idea to say that the way we see the world indicates what is inside us—just like a Rorschach test. We may either see the world from a righteous perspective —light—or a wicked perspective—darkness. In other words, how we perceive and interpret the world says less about the world and much more about us.
Taking this further, when Jesus uses the words “healthy” and “unhealthy” to describe how people see, he connects our vision to the broader economic context of this part of the sermon. In other passages of Scripture, these words are often translated as “generous” and “stingy” (see Deuteronomy 15:9; Matthew 20:15). Jesus is saying that the way we handle our wealth reflects what is in our hearts. Those who practice generosity and see those in need with compassion are full of light. Those who are greedy, who see only their own need and desire to acquire more for themselves, are full of darkness.
Therefore, these verses are more than a call to generosity or a warning about greed. Once again, Jesus isn’t just concerned with our behavior but with our inner transformation. Said another way, while so many religious communities are fixated on changing the inkblot, Jesus recognizes that what really needs to change is how we see the inkblot. To live within the kingdom of the heavens, we must be changed on the inside to see the world differently, and only then will our behavior follow.
Daily Scripture
Matthew 6:19–24
Deuteronomy 15:7–11
Weekly Prayer
From Henri Nouwen (1932–1996)
Dear Lord, help me keep my eyes on you. You are the incarnation of Divine Love, you are the expression of God’s infinite compassion, you are the visible manifestation of the Father’s holiness. You are beauty, goodness, gentleness, forgiveness, and mercy. In you all can be found. Outside of you nothing can be found. Why should I look elsewhere or go elsewhere? You have the words of eternal life, you are food and drink, you are the Way, the Truth, and the Life. You are the light that shines in the darkness, the lamp on the lampstand, the house on the hilltop. You are the perfect Icon of God. In and through you I can see and find my way to the Heavenly Father. O Holy One, Beautiful One, Glorious One, be my Lord, my Savior, my Redeemer, my Guide, my Counselor, my Comforter, my Hope, my Joy, and my Peace. To you I want to give all that I am. Let me be generous, not stingy or hesitant. Let me give you all—all I have, think, do, and feel. It is yours, O Lord. Please accept it and make if fully your own.
