Thursday, Sept. 26

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“No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light. For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light. Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away.”   - Luke 8:16-18

This little passage from Luke comes right after Jesus gives the Parable of the Sower.  Earlier in this same chapter, Jesus tells us that the seed in the parable is the Word of God (Luke 8:11).  

The lamp was a small clay pitcher with a spout, filled with oil and a wick. Obviously, a person didn’t light such a lamp for the purpose of putting it under a container or under a bed. He lit it so that he could set it on a stand and light up his house. In other words, the lamp had a very practical function. Without it, a person couldn’t see where he/she was going in the dark and would bang against low-lying furniture. He would trip over the kids toys that had been left on the floor. He couldn’t see to cook or read or do anything. The lamp was lit to be used, not to be hidden.

In the same way, God has given us the Bible, including the teachings of Jesus, to shed light on how we should live so that we don’t grope around in the darkness, whacking our shins or bumping into the obstacles that the Word warns us about.

Several years ago when our children were younger, we went as a family on a missions trip to Ecuador with a group of high school students and leaders.  One of the projects that we worked on was digging a 3 foot deep trench that stretched about 3/4 of a mile down the side of a mountain.  The trench was for a water line to bring fresh water from a mountain spring down to a group of houses.  When we had finally finished digging the trench it was getting late, we were exhausted and we neglected to cover the portion that ran through yard between the houses.  That night, the wife of one of the missionaries was walking home, but she had no idea that there was a 3 foot hole across her yard.  As she walked across the yard in the dark, she fell into the trench badly injuring her leg.  

Without God’s Word, people are wandering in this dark, dangerous world without illumination from God. They’re falling into the open holes of fear, sexual immorality, anger, bitterness, self-centeredness, greed, drunkenness (just to name a few).  God’s Word is the light that tells them how to walk so that they don’t walk alone or i darkness.  As believers, we are called to live in the light of God’s Word, so that by our example and our words, we may help others see the truth of God’s love.

It’s hard not to wonder why anyone wouldn’t want God’s light to illumine their lives so that they can see how to avoid the holes and dangers of the dark?  Jesus tells us why, “Men loved the darkness rather than the light for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light lest his deeds should be exposed” (John 3:19-20).

The Bible makes it clear that Jesus is both the Living Word made flesh and the Light of the World.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.  - John 1:14

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”  - John 8:12 

Jeff Frazier