Why do criminals knock out the streetlights in our country? Because they know if there is light the light will catch them in the act. One reason that you hide a light is because you are ashamed of what the light reveals, or you are afraid of being caught. Shame and fear of punishment. Light exposes. And people hate the light because it exposes deeds that ought not to be done.
But when you turn on the lights in your house at night, you do it so that people can see. When streetlights are working there is a sense of peace and safety. Without light you are walking blind. It would be silly to cover your lights with duct tape after you turn them on.
Now Jesus teaching is light. The question is how are you listening?
The light of Jesus is Shining in the Word
- The Purpose of light.
- The effect of light
- The children of light
The purpose of light
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.
Jesus’ teaching is light. A light that can guide you on your path in life. That helps you to see your own sin and brokenness so that you can find healing.
Because his word does things thing, it is important that we listen. How you respond to him reveals the state of your heart and where one’s future with God resides. What do you do with the teaching, preaching and reading of his word? The bible is clear, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path (Ps 119:105).” Or psalm 36:9, “For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.” Now what do you do with the light. Do you hide it under a jar so deep that no one knows that the word is in you? Do you put it under the bed, only to be pulled in case of emergency?
light is necessary to life. To truly life. And our hearts desperately need to be enlightened, with a light that is not within us but comes from without. Thanks be to God that Zacheriah in chapter 1 says this is the whole readon for his coming. To give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace (Luke 1:77-79)
This goes back to the story of the Sower. The Sower is sowing seed –but some hearts don’t receive that seed. Some hearts hide the light. Hide in darkness. And prefer not to see what that light reveals. Prefer to life in ignorance.
The purpose of the word of God, is to reveal to show the room of your life To reveal the state of your house. And at the end of the day you can run, you can hide, but the light will reveal everything. Light makes thing manifest. That is its purpose.
For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest,
Light not only illuminates it also exposes. It exposes sin as well as hypocrisy. And we see the effect of the light on people around Jesus. Some hate him, others are broken, others hide, others are attracted. Many respond.
The light will one day make all clear. No matter how long one hides or runs, the light will either expose, so that there is chance for repentance, forgiviness, and restoriation. Or it will condemn. There is a song by Johnny cash that speaks to this. Although it says it harshly, I think it gets the point across.
Sooner or later God’s gonna cut you down
Well, you may throw your rock and hide your hand
Workin’ in the dark against your fellow man
But as sure as God made black and white
What’s done in the dark will be brought to the light
What’s done in the dark will be brought to the light. If God has not cut you down and humbled you in the light of his love then he will one day cut you down and humble you in the light of his justice. The cross, or judgement day. There are no alternatives. The light will shine in the darkness, and will bring all things to light, and the darkness will NOT overcome it. O dear church let the light of the word shine in every corner of your heart, let the holy Spirit convict and change.
Light will either expose or purify. But neutrality is not possible once the light shines.
Nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest…. Nothing. Nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light. maybe there are hidden things in the lives of some of you. Secrets that some of you carry that are consuming you from the inside. You don’t have to. You can confess without fear of judgement. Judgement has already fallen on the Prince of Glory. For you! Why hide. Why let fear, shame and guilt control you. What are you afraid of? Come he says, walk in the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what you do is done through God. The purpose of light is to reveal.
The effect of light on life
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.”
Take care how you hear. The question is not that you hear. But the attitude with which you listen. How do you come? With what attitude do you come? As a critic, a judge, or in order to check off a religious duty? Or as a child, in humility, seeking to grow, change, and hear the voice of God. You see the attitude with which you listen to anyone will impact how you respond. Its true for how you listen to your wife, your kids, a member in church, your boss, and above all God.
Listening is for the purpose of Change. Just light of God is the word of God. How you respond to the word, is how you respond to the light.
There is a way of hearing that does not change you. we see that with the four sorts of seed. But the question we need to ask is Are you listening truly for the voice of God. How do you approach the word? With prayer, anticipation and expectation? With wonder and amazement? Are you praying for that? Are you reading because it affects all of life, or reading it simply as part of your life?
Take care then how you hear.
You see the seed may have taken root, like it did in the rocky soil, or the weedy soil that we spoke about last time, but so quickly the trials and temptations of life take it away. And its all kinds of stuff that happens in life. This is what it means he says, “from him who has not even what he has will be taken away.”
This is not a once and done process, it is a lifetime process of listening, learning, and loving God. And then when you come with this attitude, Jesus says to you more will be given. This is a warning, and a promise. A promise for those who allow the light of God’s word to shine on their life week in and week out. But a warning for those who think they have the gospel, but don’t produce any fruit. Who see it as one more thing in their busy life, and slowly the voice of the world drowns out the voice of truth.
Dear church it is only those who listen who are truly family of God.
The children of light.
Then his mother and his brothers came to him, and they could not reach him because of the crowd. And he was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see you.”
You can imagine the scene. The place is packed. There is no room to maneuver between the people, and the family of Jesus wanted to talk to him. Why? we dont know. All we know is that they were out there and had passed word through the crowd that they wanted to see Jesus. The crowd passes the along the word till it comes to Jesus, and they tell him, “Your mother and bother are outside desiring to see you.
And he applies everything he has just said, and the implication of what he has just said in one line, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.” Listen carefully to what Jesus is saying. You are part of the family of Jesus Christ If you hear the word of God and do it. This is what it means that you receive the seed of the word, this is what it means to put the light in the center of your life and the center of the church. That is where the gospel needs to shine to affect every part of our life. And if you hear in this way and life out the gospel in your life, then you are Family of Jesus Christchildren of God.
For this gospel is first and foremost relational. It places us into relationship. Into familial relationship with Jesus Christ, and through him we receive God as Father.
The implications of hearing and doing cannot therefore be understated. This is life or death. Heaven our hell. God as Father or God as judge. Would you be part of the family of Jesus Christ. it is not about hearing the word every week. That is where it begins. It is not about reading the word every day, that is important, but it is about prayerfully asking the Spirit to allow that word to change you and conform you into the image of Jesus Christ.
Here are my mother and brothers, we say to each other when we hear the word and do it. Look around you. Those who hear the word and do it are your mother and brothers. Those are the true and eternal family,
Dear church the light is the light of the gospel and the teaching of Jesus. And his message is about him. He is the light. What do you do with it? The purpose of this light is not to make you just feel good or have an emotional feeling – it is to expose sin, and change you life through the Power of the Spirit. It is so that you grow and produce fruit. So that people might see that you are children of your father who is in heaven.
So, let’s think about how we listen to the preaching. Let’s think of how we approach the word when we read it. Let’s think about how we approach Bible study. Do we listen and study to be changed. Or just because… Do we listen to meet God, or to satisfy our own conscience. Do we listen to grow in love for God and others, or do we listen because we love ourselves. May God awaken in us a heartfelt desire for his word. A desire that leads to real action.
And let’s commit this year to really spending time in the word. Reading it, meditating on it, allowing it to be the light of our path in life. Let’s listen with ears that desire to obey rather then with ears that want to be entertained. Sometimes the light is painful. Sometimes it gives comfort. Sometimes it gives pleasure. But the light always does something. Reveals something. What has it revealed today? How are you living as Jesus brother or sister?
Amen.