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Reading Luke 8:16-18 and the parable of the lamp under a jar, which Jesus says to take care with how you hear, being responsible with the message of the gospel and the word of God. Visit wwutt.com for all our videos!
In Luke chapter 8, Jesus gives the parable of a lamp under a jar, and it sounds very similar to an illustration that Jesus gives in the Sermon on the Mount about a lamp under a basket, but there's a different context here when we understand the text.
This is When We Understand the Text, a daily study of God's Word that we may be filled with the knowledge of His will. For questions and comments, send us an email to whenweunderstandthetext at gmail .com.
Here's your teacher, Pastor Gabe.
Thank you, Becky. In our study of the Gospel according to Luke, we're picking up where we left off last week in chapter 8. We last read the parable of the sower, covering the first 15 verses of this chapter, and today we pick up with the parable of a lamp under a jar.
This is verses 16 -18, hear the word of the Lord. 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. Now, you've probably heard this particular parable in another way, especially if you're familiar with the Sermon on the Mount.
I'll come to that here in just a moment. But first, to kind of recap the way that chapter 8 is laid out for us, we're seeing different aspects of Christ's authority, and here we're exploring his authority through the teaching that he gives.
Again, last week we looked at the parable of the sower and even the purpose of the parables, Jesus' explanation of the parable of the sower. And that will have to do with what we see in this next parable with a lamp under a jar.
This is not just Jesus jumping to another parable, but continuing to illustrate something that he said in the previous parable. What we will later see here in chapter 8, we're also going to recognize Christ's authority over nature itself.
He's going to calm a storm. We'll see Jesus heal a man who is demon-possessed. We see his authority over even the spiritual realm. And then Jesus' authority to heal sicknesses and diseases, his authority over death itself by healing a woman who is sick and then raising a man's daughter from the dead.
So these are the things that we still have coming up here in chapter 8, and this section that we're looking at, we're hearing Christ's authority through the teaching that he gives. Now, once again, with this particular parable, a lamp under a jar, what you may be familiar with, some of the themes that you heard here sound very similar to an illustration that Jesus gives in the Sermon on the Mount, where he talks about salt and light in Matthew 5.
He says in Matthew 5 .14, you are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden, nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.
In the same way, let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Now that particular illustration that Jesus gives there is in a different context than the parable that Jesus gives here in Luke chapter 8.
They don't mean the same, even though it might be the same sort of illustration. It's just given a different application. So all of that there in Matthew chapter 5, still very good. It's talking about how we should let our good works be seen by others so that they may glorify God who is in heaven.
But the context here in Luke chapter 8, that illustration is given a different application. So verse 16, 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.
You're looking at that going, that's exactly what Jesus said in Matthew chapter 5. So how are these things different? Well, let me skip verse 17 for a moment and jump straight to verse 18. Take care then how you what?
Take care how you hear. This has something to do with hearing. This does not have to do with doing good works in the sight of others so that they may see that our good deeds have been carried out in God.
That's a statement that's made in John chapter 3, verse 21, by the way, let our good works be done in the light so that others may see that our good works are done to the glory of our father who is in heaven.
That's a different instruction. Good instruction, of course, because it comes from Jesus, but it's not the same thing as what we're reading here regarding the lamp under a jar. This has to do with the word and hearing the word and being responsible with what it is that we hear and what we do with what we hear.
And like I said, this ties back into the previous parable that we just studied, the parable of the sower. Remember that the seed that the sower cast represented the message of the kingdom as the message goes out, as it is broadcast.
It is like seed that is scattered into the air and falls into the ground. And there are different soils, four different soils that are illustrated there in that parable. You have the soil or the path rather the seed that falls on the path.
You have the seed that falls in the rocks, the seed that falls in the thorns, and then seed that falls in good soil, the seed that falls in the rocks. These are those that will hear the word and they receive it with joy, but with no root in themselves.
Whenever persecution comes or trials come, there may be a plant that sprouts up for a while. It looks like this person is a genuine believer. They believe the message of the kingdom. They repent. They turn to Jesus Christ.
We have another Christian here. But then after a time when things get difficult, because they have no root in themselves, the plant withers away and it dies. It turns out that they were never truly rooted in Christ in the first place.
Then when you have the message of the kingdom that falls in the thorns, this is somebody who likewise, just like with the seed that falls on the rocks, they love what they hear. They repent and are baptized even, but then the cares and concerns of the world choke the word and it turns out to be unfruitful.
So remember, the seed represents the word. And then we get to this here regarding the lamp under a jar. And we're talking again about the word. Take care 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.
How is all of that connected? But again, we're still talking about the message of the kingdom. We're still talking about the word of God who has been given to a person. And Jesus is continuing to teach about what you do with that word that you have heard.
How can you be sure that you're going to end up being the good soil? The word falls into good soil and produces a harvest. The good soil represents those who hear the word and they hold it fast with an honest and good heart and bear fruit with patience.
That was what was said there in verse 15. So how can you be sure that that's going to be you? I hear the word and bear fruit with patience. And so Jesus gives this illustration. Let's come back to verse 16.
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. And again, even though we have this illustration in Matthew 5 about letting your works be seen by others, this illustration really doesn't have to do with showing someone something, but rather being responsible with the word that you hear.
When you hear the message of the kingdom, what do you do with it? Well, you don't hide it. You don't put it under a jar. You don't stuff it under your bed. What are you going to do with this word that you know leads to everlasting life?
You know that this word means fellowship with God. It means the forgiveness of sins. It means becoming a fellow heir of this kingdom that God will give to those who are in Christ Jesus. You have heard this message, how we may be reconciled back to God through the message of the gospel.
And not even all of that has been told yet with regard to the full gospel message itself. Jesus has not yet gone to the cross and died. He's not yet risen again from the dead. So even what Jesus is talking about here in this illustration is a teaching that he's given to his disciples about what they're going to do with the gospel.
When you've got all of this completed before your very eyes and your hearts will be open to understand the word, as we're going to read later on in Luke 24, once you have all of this, what are you going to do with it?
You're going to take it and you're going to share it with everybody. And this is the light. This word being a light to the world so that they may see God through the message of the.
Gospel.
You've heard as it said in Psalm 119, your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Over and over we see in the scriptures how the word of God is like a light illuminating dark places. And especially when it comes to the message of the gospel, the dark places are wherever there is sin and wherever there are the wages of sin, which is death.
And the gospel shines a light in those dark places, vanquishing sin, because whoever believes in the message of the gospel will have their sins forgiven. As we read in Romans 10, 17, faith comes by hearing and hearing through the word of Christ and hearing and believing.
We know our sins are forgiven and we are made right with God. We are even cleansed from all unrighteousness because we heard the word and believed it and confessed our sins to God. And he forgave us in his son, Christ Jesus, who took the penalty for our sin upon himself with his death on the cross.
So wherever this message is going to be proclaimed, it will be shining a light into dark, sinful places, even deadly places, rescuing us from death itself. By faith in the message of the gospel, we are saved even from death and given eternal.
Life.
Romans 1, 16, I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. It is that light that shines in a dark place. There's the comparison of the word, the comparison of the gospel that's made right there in this illustration.
So then Jesus goes on to say in Luke 8, 17, for nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light. Now, you might think immediately in reading that, that has something to do with our sin, right?
We can't hide anything from God. There's nothing that we can keep concealed and store it away from God or keep it locked in closets, as we make the illustration of metaphor, or what would you call it, the old adage or something like that of people having skeletons in their closets.
Whenever they have deep, dark secrets, they want to hide from others. We say that their skeletons are full of closets. Their closets are full of skeletons because they don't want people to know of the nasty habits or bad, sinful things that they enjoy.
And so all of these things eventually are going to become manifest, right? You'll never be able to hide everything from God. And on that day of judgment, all this stuff is going to come out anyway. But that's not necessarily the context here in verse 17.
Nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest. This is Jesus talking about gospel proclamation and gospel ministry. That's going to be like a lamp that is shining in the world, and it's going to illuminate everything, and there's nothing that will remain hidden.
Yeah, you can certainly make a sin application here, but it's not necessarily in the sense of somebody trying to hide their sins, and God is going to make it known on the last.
Day.
It's more a matter of understanding that the gospel penetrates dark places. And there aren't going to be secret sins that you will be able to keep tucked away if you have truly heard the gospel. If you've truly heard the word of God and the Holy Spirit through the message of this gospel has convicted your heart and brought you to an understanding of your sin and salvation that is given in Christ alone, then there will not be a part of you that you will try to keep from that penetrating power of the gospel.
Like I still have this sin that I love. I'm going to keep it over here. No, if you're truly hearing the gospel, then there's nothing that you're going to continue to try to hold on to. Everything will be made manifest to your conscience, perhaps.
Your conscience becomes aware of sin that previously your conscience was not aware of.
Before.
Nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light. You know, even if there are sins in your past somewhere that you may have forgotten about, like if it's the gospel not really penetrated my life or my past, if there's still sins that I forgot about and I've not adequately brought before God and asked for forgiveness or something like that, it's not necessarily what this means.
We will never have perfectly confessed every sin before God when we enter through heaven's gates and yet he's going to welcome us into his kingdom anyway. That is because we enter in based on the perfect merits of Christ, not on our merits, not even on our ability to perfectly confess every single sin, which is impossible for you to do anyway.
But there's not going to be those things in your life that you're going to try to hold on to, tuck away into dark places in closets, under beds, wherever else. I still want to have these sins. I still want to keep them hidden from other people and be able to pull them out and indulge in them every once in a while.
If the gospel has come into your life, it is going to penetrate those dark places and you won't want those sins anymore. How do I need to clean this place up? What cabinets do I need to open? What corners do I need to open up so that the light of the gospel penetrates in those.
Places?
You will be looking for places for sin to be vanquished. You won't be holding onto those sins. And so, as Jesus goes on to say in the next verse, in verse 18, take care then how you.
Hear.
And this comes right back into what he was sharing with the parable of the sower. When you hear the word, what are you going to do with it? For to the one who has, more will be given. And that's talking about knowledge.
It's not talking about spiritual gifts. It's not talking about opportunities. The one who has. You have heard the word of God and you believe it and you love it and you cherish it. Well, to you, more will be given.
You'll get more knowledge. You will grow even more in your understanding of who God is according to his word. More will be given to you. This is talking about maturity. It is growing in our understanding of who God is according to what is said in his word.
But then the next line, the next part of this, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away. Now this again comes right back into the parable of the sower. The one who has not, he doesn't have understanding.
He's heard, but he's not taking care about how he's heard. Again, at the start of verse 18, take care then how you hear. To the one who has, more will be given. You have understanding, you'll gain more understanding.
But from the one who has not, you've heard, but you don't have the understanding. So you might end up being like the seed that fell in the rocks or the seed that fell in.
The thorns.
There's something there that looks like this person has come to faith in Jesus Christ. The seed opens up, a plant begins to emerge, but with the rocks, there's no root. So it struggles and dies out. With the thorns, it gets choked out because of the cares and concerns of the world.
And so this is a person who heard, but they didn't take care how they hear. They did not actually have a right understanding. The one who has not, they didn't have understanding, they didn't have salvation, did not truly have salvation.
So what he thinks he has, he thinks he has salvation, will be taken away. What he thinks he has, understanding, fellowship with God, maturity, or any of these things, he thinks he has them, but even what he thinks he has will be taken away.
And there are many who have started out professing Christians and thought that they had salvation and thought that they had a right understanding, and even that was taken away from them. And I've seen many, many people who start out with sound doctrine, but their understanding really wasn't sound.
They didn't take care with what they heard, and they end up falling into false teaching. And then you see their teaching morph more and more and more until it becomes something that doesn't even look biblical anymore, or they fall into false doctrines, Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, liberal Christianity, which isn't really Christianity at all, liberal theology.
They fall into the new apostolic reformation, into deep charismaticism that goes so far into wackiness that you couldn't even call it consistent biblical Christianity in any way, shape, or form. They fall into Mormonism or Jehovah's Witnesses.
I've seen people who had dedicated themselves as Christians to responding to Mormonism, and they ended up convincing themselves that Mormonism was true, because they were not rooted properly. They didn't take care with what they heard.
And then when presented with another idea that sounded more convincing to them than the true message of the word that was given to them in the first place, they ended up leaving the truth for that which was false.
If we don't take care of what we hear, when we hear the truth, we might end up as those who thought they had, but even what they had gets taken away. They may have had the knowledge of the truth at some point, but even that knowledge will be taken away from them.
The one who does not listen carefully will lose even what he has heard. So we know the truth. We have heard the truth. We have heard the word of God read and taught to us. Now what are you going to do with it?
How does it change your life? It is a lamp that shines in a dark place so that many who enter may see the light. Let the word of God vanquish those dark places inside you, but let it also be the thing that you will take out and shine as a light before others because only by this word can another be saved.
Let's finish there. We'll pick up in our study of Luke 8 tomorrow. Heavenly Father, we thank you for what we've read and I pray that it continues to be our conviction. It continues to be the very basis of our faith, our heart's desire that we would grow in the knowledge of these things all the more.
Forgive us our sins, lead us in paths of righteousness for your name's sake, paths that are illuminated by your word. Let us be careful with what it is that we have heard, not going off into other wild and crazy fanciful ideas that may lead to one thing and another thing and another thing until eventually it's not even the truth that we believe anymore.
But we hold fast to the true word that has been given from this word in your scriptures and help us to understand it rightly that we may teach it to others rightly so that they too can come to faith and be saved.
It's in Jesus' name we pray, amen.
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