No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel
or sets it under a bed;
The parables about the hiddenness of the Kingdom must be understood alongside the parables about its visible aspect. Before teaching the parable of the lamp Jesus had just given the parable about the sower and the need for good soil. The focus of that parable was the conditions required for growth of the seed, which needed to be safeguarded from undo exposure to the challenges of the world, the flesh, and the devil, allowing God himself time and space to give the growth (see First Corinthians 3:6) in ways that are hidden and mysterious even to ourselves (see Mark 4:27). We are living out the insight of the parable of the sower when we go to our inner room to pray, when we don't let our left hand know what our right hand is doing in the giving of alms, not blowing a trumpet to draw attention to ourselves (see Matthew 6:1-4). But with all of this as background, what are we to make of the lamp and its light? If we were really insistent on remaining hidden we might well cover our lamp as though in the event of an air raid siren, making it less likely that we would be targeted by opposing forces. But this is not the expectation of Jesus.
No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel
or sets it under a bed;
rather, he places it on a lampstand
so that those who enter may see the light.
God's word itself is the lamp, "a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path" (see Psalm 119:105), just as the seed also represented his word. But as the seed was in fact meant to burst the soil and bear fruit so too was the light meant to shine forth not just for us but for others, "so that those who enter may see the light". The light is meant to shine, not for the sake of making us look good, for it may in fact expose our flaws, but for the sake of glorifying God. We conceal the light with a vessel anytime we try to make it shine on us rather than shine forth from us. We are the light of the world, but we are not the source of the light. God himself is the source. We are meant to be so transparent to him that we remain safely hidden while he himself is glorified for his power at work in us.
For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible,
and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light.
That which grows in the hidden darkness of humility and prayer is meant to become manifest in the words and deeds by which we share the light of Jesus with others. We sometimes fear that we ourselves will be exposed as frauds in the process of this revelation. But we must not allow fear to become an excuse to hide the light we have been given. May we even be willing to be seen as seen as failures, as long as God himself is glorified.
Take care, then, how you hear.
To anyone who has, more will be given,
and from the one who has not,
even what he seems to have will be taken away.
When the light of the Gospel itself is our concern we will shine so that others will see the deeds that we do and glorify our Father in heaven (see Matthew 5:16). Let us not try to keep the seed from breaking through the soil once it is ready to bear fruit. The world needs this fruit and this light which do not have their source in us, or in our efforts, but in the word of God. We are meant to remain profoundly humble about our own contributions to the process and yet we are meant to be bold in the fruit we bear and in showing forth the light of God.
Refuse no one the good on which he has a claim
when it is in your power to do it for him.
Say not to your neighbor, “Go, and come again,
tomorrow I will give,” when you can give at once.
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