On its own, it’s hard to make sense of Jesus’ eye-lamp metaphor. However, the ambiguity fades when our interpretation of “the eye is the lamp of the body” involves reading Jesus’ words in context. He’s using imagery from the Hebrew Bible to say that one's spiritual health can be assessed in part by observing the way one uses material possessions.

In Matthew 6:14-15, Jesus says, “For if you forgive people their transgressions, your Father in the skies will also forgive you. But if you will not forgive people, then neither will your Father forgive your transgressions” (BibleProject Translation). Forgiving the person who accidentally bumped into us or the rude customer who scolded us may come easily. But what about those who’ve caused devastating wounds—the friend who stabbed us in the back, the spouse who cheated, the parent who abused, the drunk driver who killed, the assailant who attacked?

When humans choose to live in the way of Jesus, they experience "rewards" in Heaven. These rewards are different from physical wealth or material goods. And they aren’t theoretical ideas, like future gold in the skies or mansions in the clouds. Instead, they are real benefits experienced in real time, gifts like peacefulness, fearless love, deeper wisdom, and all kinds of healing.