Major organ transplants are becoming routine around the globe today thanks to many significant medical and scientific advancements over the past 25 years. Heart, lung, kidney and many other major organs can be and are transplanted daily. In fact, it is highly likely that one or more such operation is underway at this very moment somewhere in America. And in addition, I would venture to say that hundreds if not thousands of fortunate individuals are recuperating from one of these major surgeries right now. Indeed, the miracles of modern medicine are amazing.
But there is one type of transplant that will not be done successfully anywhere in the world today because the organ is far too complex to transplant whole. That organ is the eye. While cornea and lens replacement surgeries might be common, whole eye transplants are still years if not decades away from reality.
Why? Because of the complexity of the connection to the brain through the optic nerve is beyond our reach today. The optic nerve is composed of more than a million tiny nerve fibers that are much like a fiber optic cable. Once the fibers are cut, they cannot be reconnected. At least not today, and that’s why it’s impossible to transplant a whole eye. Even if a surgeon could implant an eye into the eye socket, the eye would not be able to transit signals to the brain.
Believe it or not, Jesus talks about the importance of the eye in our focal passage this week. He calls it the lamp of the body and He talks about the enlightening impact a healthy eye has on the body and the harm that a bad eye can do to the whole body. The Creator of our eyes uses the metaphor of an eye to teach us invaluable lessons about light and its impact in our lives. I hope you will join us this week as we will learn what it means to be entirely illuminated, from the inside out.
If you are unable to join us in person for this study, please feel free to download the Bible study materials for your personal use by following one of these links: PowerPoint Slides, PDF File. For more information about this Bible study series please see Doubtless Living: The Gospel of Luke.