Light (Luke 8:16-18)

"Jesus and His Disciples" -Rembrandt 1634

Following the story of the seed, we get three statements from Jesus. More of a proverb than a parable, Jesus talks about the light of a lamp. He talks about the function of the light. It exists to illuminate and make things visible. No one lights a lamb and them covers it up. That would be silly. In the same way, Jesus’s teaching is like light entering the world. It exists to reveal reality.

This reminds me of Plato’s story of the cave. The people trapped in the cave think that they know the truth about reality based on what they are seeing… shadows cast upon the wall by the light of the sun shining in the cave. In Plato’s story, someone escapes their bonds, sees the world outside of the cave, and tries to convince the others of the reality. Jesus, instead, has broken into the fallen world. He has brought light into the cave and illuminated reality for those of us trapped.

Jesus goes on to talk about the nature of His teaching, the light. It will make all things visible. Things secret and hidden. In one way, this is referring to the way that Jesus’s teaching reveals the reality beyond our broken, sinful world. Through Jesus’s teaching we can know the world as it truly is. However, this could also be a reference to the fact that Jesus’s teaching also exposes things about us. Things we have hidden. The way we respond to Jesus exposes our hearts. Much like the soils in the parable of the seed, the way we respond to Jesus reveals our spiritual condition.

Jesus warns His followers and those listening that they need to be careful how the respond to His teaching. We need to both make sure that the content we are hearing is what Jesus is actually saying, as well as be sure to respond to the message. Too often people twist Jesus’s words into something He did not say, or they simply fail to apply what Jesus is saying to their lives and actions. Those who hear and act will hear more. Those who ignore Jesus will eventually stop receiving any light at all.