Parakalein

I met a good friend for breakfast this morning and he shared his discovery that the word for "eye" that Matthew used in Matthew 6:22 carries with it the idea of "generous or abundant".  So he concluded that when Jesus looks at us he looks at us with an eye of generous grace.  "If the eye be generous and gracious it is light" to the soul"(Matthew 6:22).

As friends do, I added my "2 cents".  I had just preached a message form Mark 8:33 where Peter has this incredible high of saying "Thou art the Christ the Son of the Living God" only to a few minutes later fall off that high pedestal of pride and Jesus says to him, "Get thee behind me Satan".  I told my friend that I had always thought Jesus was calling Peter "bad man" for getting it wrong but that I have come to see that Jesus was looking right into the eye of Peter with an eye of gentleness and kindness not judgment and condemnation.  Jesus in effect was saying, Peter the one who is whispering in your ear to rebuke me is not the voice of God but the voice of a scared man influenced by the deceiver.  To Peter Jesus eyes were filled with grace and that generously, so he said "Get thee behind me Satan, Satan the one in his ear get behind me let Peter see just my eyes of love and grace, my face of compassion not a frown of disappointment.  I told him I had blogged about this just the other day so here it is again.  Double emphasis.

As we shared my friend was giving himself a hard time actually being a bit harsh.  When we said good bye I gave him a firm hug then whispered in his ear, "I love you man and you are a good man" and my eyes see clearly.

The eye of compassion is what my "I" of my mistakes always needs.