The Light Has Come. Now What?

Scripture:

Luke 8:16-18

“No one after lighting a lamp hides it under a jar, or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a lampstand, so that those who enter may see the light. For nothing is hidden that will not be disclosed, nor is anything secret that will not become known and come to light. Then pay attention to how you listen; for to those who have, more will be given; and from those who do not have, even what they seem to have will be taken away.”

Observation:

Light has always been important for humanity. Without electricity, lights were lit in the evening, whether an oil lamp, or a candle, to light up a room. Common sense would say that once you light your lamp, you don’t cover it up with a pottery jar. For one thing, there would be no light in the room, and second, the light may actually go out for lack of oxygen. This is simply ridiculous.

When one turns on the light, it is done with the purpose of illuminating the space. Everyone who comes in can see clearly. As a result, nothing is hidden. When the light comes, we must be aware of how we live and act, for everything that we do will be visible to those around us. 

Application:

We are still in the season of Christmas, celebrating the arrival of the Messiah. All throughout December we saw the light dawning but now, we recognize that the light has come. This means that we must consider what we will do with that light.

The purpose of light is to illuminate. This is a wonderful thing because once our lives are filled with light it’s much easier to navigate the obstacles that are around us. Instead of stumbling around, we become much more agile and able to live without the bumps and bruises which can come from the darkness. 

For some, however, the light reveals far too much. Instead of wanting to deal with what they now see, they prefer to take the light and hide it. Sadly, if the light which we have enjoyed and celebrated at Christmas is then hidden, it will be extinguished, and again we will be left stumbling in the dark. 

I think we are all learning that there is very little that can be hidden these days. Far too many religious leaders have fallen, as well as others who claim to be followers of Christ. The light will shine and ultimately anything we are trying to hide, will be brought to light. Either we can be embarrassed by that, or we can keep the light on in our lives and allow that light to help us honestly face up to the challenges we have. The reality is that we all have things that we need the Lord to work on in our lives.

The light has come. Now what? That is up to each and every single one of us. 

Prayer:

Lord, please help me to live in your light, and be willing to face what you may reveal to me. Amen.