What we see is largely understood by how we see it. Perspective is vital, and context is essential in seeing things properly. That is what Matthew 6:22-24 is talking about — perspective.
A poem by John Godfrey Saxe, “The Blind Men and the Elephant,” says:
It was six men of Indostan
To learning much inclined
Who went to see the elephant
(Though all of them were blind),
That each by observation
Might satisfy his mind.
The poem shares what each man saw even though he was blind. The first touched the elephant’s side and said an elephant is like a wall. The next touched his tusk and said the elephant is like a spear. The third grabbed his trunk and said the elephant is like a snake. The next touched his leg and said the elephant is like a tree. The fifth man touched his ear and said the elephant is like a fan. The last blind man felt the elephant’s tail and said it is an animal like a rope. The final lines of the poem conclude:
And so these men of Indostan
Disputed loud and long,
Each in his own opinion
Exceeding stiff and strong,
Though each was partly in the right,
And all were in the wrong.
Jesus said the eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are in good shape, you will see light; if not, you will live in darkness. A clear eye or right heart refers to single-minded devotion to Christ. Bad spiritual eyes are unfocused, uncommitted and greedy. A good eye is focused on Christ (Hebrews 12:2). It is the spiritual eyes of true faith that can see God at work. Bad or evil eyes may be able to see, but what is seen is distorted and is compared to darkness. Good, or spiritual, eyes lead to generosity.
In verse 24, Jesus talked about the problem of divided loyalties. We cannot serve two masters. We are slaves of Christ if Christ has redeemed us — slaves empowered with freedom and forgiveness in the service of Jesus (1 Corinthians 6:19). The essence of this verse relates to the relationship of slaves and masters. A person may be able to work for two employers, but it is not possible to serve two masters. We cannot serve God and mammon (material possessions that include, but are not limited to, money). We cannot simultaneously follow both Satan and Christ. Jesus said we will hold to (or love) the one and despise (or hate) the other. One will be rejected, and one will be followed.
In Matthew 12:30, Jesus said, “He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters.” There is no middle or in-between ground. We cannot straddle the fence. Nothing is more insulting to God than putting something or someone before Him. The first commandment says, “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3). Jesus said in Matthew 6:33, “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness … .”
The late James Montgomery Boice observed, “How can you tell whether riches have clouded your spiritual vision? The answer may be determined by the extent to which you are generous with the goods which you have been given.”