And no one having lighted a lamp covers it with a vessel or puts it under a couch, but sets it on a lamp-stand, that they who enter in may see the light.
Right after the parable of the sower, Jesus turns from soil to lamplight. He moves from what the word grows inside a person to what it must do outside. The picture comes from an ordinary home, and it raises a sharp question: if God has lit a light in you, what could justify covering it?
The parable of the sower ends with fruit. This saying adds a second result of the same seed, and one writer traces both to conversion.
Verse 16 adds that truly receiving the Word produces light as well as fruit. Every real conversion means the lighting of a fresh candle in this dark world. Cares and riches and pleasures choke the word. In the same way a "vessel," which speaks of work and daily toil, or a "bed," which speaks of ease, may hide the candle that has been lit. Every candle lit by receiving the Word is to be put on open display for the good of others. Let us all take this home to ourselves. If the light is really there it cannot be entirely hidden, as verse 17 shows. If year after year nothing shows, only one conclusion can be drawn — there is nothing to show.
Receiving life is not the end of the story. Another writer names what comes next:
when the word of God has taken hold of a man, the next thing is testimony. God let the disciples, not the nation, know the mysteries of the kingdom of God. They had light themselves, and the next thing was to give light to others.… This drives home responsibility in the use of light.
The word behind "lamp" is not our modern candle.
The Greek word lychnos is sometimes translated 'light,' which it never really means, and sometimes 'candle.' It properly means 'lamp' — a hand-lamp fed with oil. Some passages show the truth more clearly when the same word is always translated the same way. Luke 8:16 is one: there the 'lamp' pictures the testimony of the word by Christ.
Commentators differ here. One reads the lit lamp as a Person:
The Light, the Candle that God's own hand has lit for us, is the Lord Himself, our Saviour. He was speaking of Himself in the parable. "I am the light of the world," He said on another occasion.
One writer reads the two covers Jesus names as two ways of smothering a testimony.
Who would hide a lighted lamp under a vessel or basket or under a bed? Will a believer choose to be ashamed of having others know he is a believer? If the Spirit of God has "lighted" him, it is so that he may give light to others. Let him then be willing to have nothing secret, so that his conduct and words bear witness to his faith. Hiding the light under a vessel means we are too busy with the things of this life to witness for Christ. Putting the light under a bed means we are too lazy to let our light shine for the Lord.
God is not neutral about whether the light shows.
To receive a new nature by the operation of the Word of God is not enough. God raises up a testimony for Himself. Where a candle is lit, it is not meant to be covered: it is to shine, to give light, "so that those who enter may see the light." God loves that the light should be apparent. Is it not there to be seen?
One writer sets the two Gospel accounts side by side and finds two circles the one lamp reaches:
Put the lamp on its proper stand, and it would shed its light on everyone in the house (Matt. 5:15), as well as on everyone who might come in (Luke 8:16).
Who can shine, then? One writer answers by pointing to the new life itself, not to ability.
The shining of the light is not a question of gift. It is not the exercise of gift in preaching and teaching. It is the new life expressing something of Christ, by being like Christ: "blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without fault, in the middle of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world" (Phil. 2:15).
- Lit — every real conversion lights a fresh lamp in a dark world. The seed that bears fruit for God also becomes light for people.
- Fed — the word means a small hand-lamp filled with oil. It pictures the testimony of the word. Some read the lit lamp as Christ Himself, the Light of the world.
- Hidden — the jar stands for being too busy with daily life. The bed stands for being too lazy. Both smother a testimony, as thorns choke a seed.
- Placed — God wants the light seen. Luke's wording stretches it past the household to anyone who comes in.
- Shining — this is not about preaching ability. It is a new life that looks like Christ among a crooked generation.
For there is nothing hid which shall not become manifest, nor secret which shall not be known and come to light.
A lamp is lit to be seen, not covered. This verse gives the reason why: God has settled that everything hidden will come out. Is that a threat, a promise, or both?
Receiving the word is not the end of the story. One writer explains what comes next.
In Luke it was very important to give this parable. When the word of God has taken hold of a man, the next thing is testimony. God gave the disciples, not the nation, to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God. Enlightened themselves, the next thing was to give light to others... So responsibility in the use of light is enforced.
The verse explains why concealment is out of place. Human nature runs the other way, but God's intention overrules it.
To receive a new nature by the working of the Word of God is not enough. God raises up a testimony for Himself. No one lights a lamp in order to cover it. It is to shine, to give light, "that those who enter may see the light." God loves the light to be seen... Darkness shrinks from the light. Man is in the dark, and he loves darkness more than light, because his deeds are evil. But God's resolve is that all shall appear.
This is more than a warning about secrets. One writer shows what the principle protects.
First, the great general truth: man can keep nothing secret, though it may seem so. He can hide nothing. All must be in light. God must have the upper hand, and light shall prevail... When I say man can hide nothing, that is not strong enough. There is nothing secret that will not be made manifest... This is a very important principle. It maintains the authority of God as light. If anything could slip out of this, it would escape His power and judgment, and evil would stand on its own, apart from Him. It maintains also integrity of conscience.
God deals with more than the hidden act. He deals with the wish to hide it.
God will bring everything into the light. He will root out and destroy every thought of hiding in the heart... The heart may comfort itself with the thought that a thing will not be known. He breaks through that deceit without letting up. He says it will be known: everything hidden shall come to light.
This day of exposure is not only bad news. One writer points to good deeds that went unnoticed at the time.
Every secret thing must reach its day of manifestation. Mordecai once told the king about Teresh and Bigthana, two of the palace officials. Until now that word was forgotten or neglected. Now it must be remembered. In Luke 7 the loving sinner gave her tears, her kisses and her ointment, and the Pharisee matched them with slights. Both are passed over in silence for a moment. But all is brought to light before the scene closes. For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest. God lets nothing pass.
The verse does not stand alone. It leads straight into a word about how we listen.
All four kinds of people described are hearers of the word. So each must answer for what they have heard, though few really hear in a way that profits them. A fitting word follows (Luke 8:16-18)... A lighted lamp is for our use in a house, and not to be covered with a vessel, or put under a bed. All understand that... A day is coming when all that has been concealed will be uncovered. The disciples had a privilege indeed, but with a matching responsibility. So comes the warning, "Take care then how you hear."
- Lit. The word you receive is a lamp lit, not a private thing. God gives light to a person so that others can see by it.
- Light. God's own authority as light is at stake. If anything could stay hidden for good, it would sit outside His power and judgment.
- Laid bare. God goes after more than the act. He breaks the heart's quiet hope that a hidden thing stays hidden.
- Remembered. The light works both ways. God brings out forgotten deeds and unnoticed love, just as He brings out evil.
- Listen. All comes to light. So the answer is not to hide, but to take care how you hear.