Evil eye, kuripot, and salvation

by Levy Abad

Someone asked me if, aside from Winnipeg Filipino history, I could write something about the Bible. I usually write about the history of community activism from 1968 to the present, covering community leaders, musicians, and labour activists. Somehow, the question piqued my interest. From time to time, my senior friends discuss the Bible or theology-related topics.

One time, one of the kuyas or senior brothers was telling a story of a guy who frequently walks in front of them. The guy’s demeanour seemingly shows that he is looking for a fight because of the way he stares at their group or what they term as masamang makatingin. Some of them get irritated by the “evil eye” that’s thrown on them for no reason. This reminds me of a passage in the scripture about the Hebraic idiom “evil eye” or Ayin Ra’ah. Jesus teaches, “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” (Matthew 6:22-23 NIV).

Views on the evil eye

Most of the time, the concept of evil eye is construed to mean a curse in a Greek cultural sense, “that has been passed through many decades and still exists today. It is believed that if someone is jealous of you; they can curse you with an evil eye and send bad luck your way” (Monica Vinader’s Blog). Normally, to counter this, you need to buy and wear a pendant to ward off the curse.

The above quotation is derived from the Greek context and is kind of estranged from the Filipino way of interpreting it. For most Filipinos, the term “evil eye” is interpreted as masamang makatingin, which usually leads to fights.

What does the Bible say?

But what does “evil eye” really mean in the Biblical sense? To understand its meaning, it’s helpful to consult the Jewish New Testament Commentary (1992) by David Stern. In explaining “The eye is the lamp of the body,” Stern notes, “Apparently, Yeshua (Jesus) quotes a common proverb and comments on it. If you have a ‘good eye.’ This is in the Greek text, but the explanation, that is, if you are generous, is added by me the translator because in Judaism ‘having a good eye’ an ayin tovah, means ‘being generous,’ and ‘having a bad eye’ an ‘ayin ra’ah,’ means ‘being stingy’”.

If we follow Stern’s explanation, the evil eye does not mean a jealous look in the Greek cultural sense. Neither does it mean masamang makatingin or looking for a fight in the Filipino layman’s understanding. The term evil eye is rooted in the Hebraism or idiomatic expression prevailing in the first-century Israel. It simply means stingy or being ungenerous. There is a story in the Bible about the rich man who asked Jesus what else he must do to inherit eternal life since he already followed the ten commandments. Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” At this, the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God” (Mark 10:21-25 NIV). What Jesus said shattered the theology of the rich man, who thought that following the ten commandments was enough to enter the kingdom of God.

Questions to ponder

This leads me to ponder if theologically somebody stingy or kuripot in Filipino is “saved?” How could someone stingy be generous to a homeless guy on the street, who is just a victim of structural evil/government policy rooted in neoliberalism? On the contrary, does having a good eye mean devoting your resources and time to alleviate the suffering of the poor, the marginalized, and advocating for their social liberation in the light of one’s faith?

Levy Abad is the author of Rhythms and Resistance: Narrative of Filipino Musicians and Activists (1972-1994). He is also a singer-songwriter, poet, and migrant rights activist who has released four albums centred on the life and struggles of migrants.