Yesterday we started out with Luke 8:18 but backed up to look at the parable Jesus told before making that statement. Let’s look at the verse again and then we’ll cover a couple of other things Jesus said prior to it:
“Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him” (Luke 8:18; Jesus speaking).
Luke records Jesus teaching the Parable of the Sower, concluding in verse 15 that the “good soil” absorbed the Seed of the Word and that this soil represented those “who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.”
Remember the definition of “persevere?” “To persist in anything undertaken; maintain a purpose in spite of difficulty, obstacles, or discouragement; continue steadfastly”(www.Dictionary.com). A dedicated believer will consistently serve the Lord.
Jesus makes two very interesting statements before Luke 8:18. They are:
“No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light” (Luke 8:16).
“For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open” (Luke 8:17).
Look at verse 16. As we’ve studied before, Jesus calls Himself “the light of the world” in John 8:12 and yet in Matthew 5:14 He calls believers “the light of the world.” Which is correct? Both. Believers are to reflect the Light of the One who lives within them. Which also explains why Jesus goes on in John 9:5 to say, “While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” After His resurrection, He sent His Holy Spirit to indwell believers so that they could continue His work of “light[ing]… the world.”
Which brings us back to Luke 8:16. Imagine you and your friend have gone for a hike and become separated. As darkness falls, you hear your friend calling out for help. You have a flashlight in your pocket; what are you gonna do? Stumble along in the dark to help your friend? No. Ignore your friend? No. You’ll use that flashlight to light your way to him and then you’ll use that light to show your friend where he is and how he can get out of there!
“No one lights a lamp and hides it.” If Jesus Christ lives IN you, He shines OUT from you. Is your Light shining brightly? There’s a lost dark world out there that needs to see it.
We’ll make our way to verse 18 in a day or two.
Unless otherwise stated, Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (NIV).
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