Luke 8:16-18--A Lamp Under a Jar

Luke 8:16-18
English Standard Version
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A Lamp Under a Jar
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. 17 For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light. 18 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.”

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Jesus has just told the Parable of the Soils (most of your Bibles will call it the Parable of the Sower, but the focus of the parable is on the soil where the good seed of the gospel fell.  The "problem" was not with the seed or the sower, but with the soil, that is the heart on which the gospel and God's Word fell).  Now Jesus is going to teach them using another parable.  This time talking about how what is on the inside must be visible to everyone on the outside.  There are some who claim to simply have a "private relationship" between them and God and that they are the only ones who know about it.  This parable is for them.


Jesus says that no one would light a lamp and immediately put it under a basket or a bowl so that its light would be hidden (also, this would possibly extinguish the flame as you might be cutting off its supply of oxygen).  No, instead the purpose of the lamp is to give light, and it gives light to wherever there is direct line of sight.  So, you put the lamp up on a lampstand to make sure that it is elevated and can provide maximum illumination to the room or the house that it's in.  Even a little light like a candle goes a long way in lighting up the whole room, especially when the power goes out at night and there's nothing but darkness around you.

Jesus also tells additional purposes of the light.  He says that it reveals what people have tried to hide in the dark corners.  See John 3:19 here, "And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil."  This is Jesus pointing out why some of the people hate Him, the Light of the World, and His message.  

​While not mentioned here, we know light keeps some things away, but it also attracts other creatures (like moths) that are attracted to its warmth.  There is an attractive quality to the light of the gospel and God's Word for those that the LORD is drawing.  They know that there is something different about those that the gospel and the Word have transformed, but they can't put their finger on it, but they definitely want to know more about it--maybe even learn how to emulate it.  How do we expect others to know who we are and see Christ in us and want the same for themselves if we so busy hiding it and keeping it a secret?  We are told to use our words and our works to proclaim the King and His kingdom.

Jesus then gives a word of warning that is similar to what we will see in other parables.  It's a warning to understand that we will be held accountable for what we have been given and that to those who have been given much, much will be expected and required.  It's also teaching us to not ask for more if you aren't already being obedient with what you've already been entrusted with.  In this context, it's probably talking about the understanding that God gave the Jewish people and how He called them to be a light to the Gentiles in the Old Testament in Isaiah 42:6.  The Jews did not take this responsibility seriously and kept the truth of God's Word for themselves and kept the other nations of the world away.  They were like the person in the story who had a light and didn't share it--it was like the lampstand that was in the Holy Place and only gave light to the priests who were ministering in the Tabernacle or Temple and there were thick curtains keeping that light from escaping.  However, that light was always meant out to go to the whole world and for all come come to salvation and become part of the kingdom of priests who would have access to that Light.  So now, that responsibility is going to be taken away from the religious leaders who believe they are the light for the people and given to others like the apostles and disciples that Jesus is currently teaching who will faithfully go into all the world and make disciples of all nations.  We as the Church now are like the light of the Golden Lampstand that is the heavenly Temple--see the beginning of the book of Revelation and understand that the Lampstand with the seven lamps represents the "complete" Church as seven is a number of fullness and completion and the messages to the seven churches catch every kind of church and every kind of person that calls themselves by the name of Christ.  The warning is also there in the book of Revelation that Jesus may remove a lamp from the lampstand (take away a church or the ministry of church) if they are no longer following after Him and obeying His Word.  As Jesus would say to all the seven churches, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."