What Are You Not Seeing?

Luke 8:16-18
¹⁶ “No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light. ¹⁷ For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light. ¹⁸ Therefore take heed how you hear. For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him.”

When I read these three verses this morning, they were a complete puzzle to me.  I have read them before, of course, but I do not remember ever taking the time to consider their meaning in anything more than a superficial way.  I was planning to skip over them again, but something – (the Spirit of Christ?) – drew me back, and I started digging. 

Basically, Jesus followed up his explanation of the parable of the soils with another parable about putting a lamp on a lampstand instead of under a bed.  That seems rather obvious, but Jesus used that parable to illustrate that His purpose was to illuminate his teaching and to reveal hidden things, but the extension of the parable to giving to the ones who have much and taking from those who have little was contradictory to my way of thinking.   Realizing that, I did some more research and read a couple of commentaries.  Some only confused me more, but one by Bob Definbaugh opened it up for me, and the light came on – no pun intended.

I should have looked at the context first.  These three verses conclude the explanation of the parable of the soils and make two broad statements of principle with regard to parables in general and this parable in particular.

1.       The light will not be hidden, but it will be placed on a lampstand.  Jesus meant for His teachings to be illuminating for “those who enter” – for those who come into the radiance of the light of the Truth.  In my own words, Jesus is saying that the parables cast light on His teaching, and they illuminate truth for those who come seeking Jesus.

2.       Those who have light and come seeking more light will be given a greater and deeper knowledge and understanding of Jesus’ teachings.  On the other hand, those who do not have light or are casual in their interest of Jesus’ word will lose what light they think they have.  With regard to the parable of the soils, those who hear the word with a hard, shallow, or materialistic mind will lost the Word that they hear and the Word will not bear fruit in their hearts and lives.  They will lose what little they have.  By contrast, those whose minds receive the Word which bears fruit will receive more seed of the Word to bear even more fruit.

What more can I say than Jesus said, “Therefore take heed how you hear” (v. 18)?  It is obvious to me that to be a deliberate Christian, I must be consumed by a desire for the light of the Word.  May I never come to think I have enough!

Coram deo