Let your light shine

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 8, 16-18)

Jesus said to the crowd: “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.” This is the word of the Lord.

“Why do persons light a lamp? Why do we switch on the lights?” This is a question nobody is asking Jesus, however Luke reports him saying that one lights a lamp and puts it on a lampstand “so that those who enter the (house) may see the light”. Matthew’s rendering of Christ’s words is slightly different in that he states that one lights a lamp and “it gives light to all in the house” (Mt 5, 15). Let us remember that Luke is addressing former gentiles who are entering the Church, while Matthew is writing to Jews the Chosen People of God. For Luke, light is a sign of welcome; for Matthew it is a sign of deeper learning. For both Matthew and Luke, and for Jesus the fundamental message is that light is to be shared with those in the house and those who are outside in the dark.

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There is another difference between the two gospel renderings of Christ’s teaching. After presenting Christ’s teaching we know as the Beatitudes, Matthew presents him telling his hearers, the disciples: “‘You are the salt of the earth ... You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. [So] let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven”(Mt 5, 13-16). Luke, on the other hand presents today’s selection after explaining the parable of the sower who went out to sow his seed. Some of it fell on the path and was trampled on. Some fell on the rock and withered for lack of moisture. Some fell among thorns and these choked it. Some fell into good soil, and when it grew, it produced a hundredfold” (Lk 8, 5-8).

I feel that Christ’s explanation of this parable is encouraging, for it is ‘good news’. The sower is not worried that not all the seeds could produce a hundredfold: he kept on sowing. Am I violating Our Lord’s teaching if I interpret this parable and its explanation as a call to “let your light shine before others”? I hope not!

Jesus said: “Let your light shine”. He wants ‘our’ light to shine, and this is what he is trying to do now! He is still ‘sowing’! He is still calling each one of us to put our light on a stand. There are different ‘lights’ on earth. There are powerful spotlights, and there are lamps that shine and give a lot of light, and there are candles big and small, and there are matches. We do not expect matches to last long, but they can light candles and lamps. We can make good use of their light! Matches are important even if their light is short lived! Of course, a match, once used cannot be lit again. Today we frequently use lighters which are not meant to shine for a long time, only enough to do their job. But you can light them again and again!

Let us not worry too much if we are lighters and not spotlights. The important thing is to let Jesus use our abilities in the way he sees best.

Luke then reports Jesus saying two important things.

First, he states that “nothing is hidden that will not be disclosed, nor is anything secret that will not become known and come to light”. God needs lights of all sorts to disclose what is hidden and to make known what is secret. The Apostle Paul writing to the Corinthians said: “I want you to understand that … no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit. Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good” ( 1 Cor 12, 3-7). So “Let your light shine!”.

Then Jesus tells his listeners: “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”. Is this a threat? No! He is stating the obvious. If we do not use our talents, our abilities, we will lose them! If we never walk, we will lose our ability to do so. It seems that this was one of the challenges astronauts had to face who stayed for a long time in space in an situation of weightlessness. Athletes who do not practice their sports will lose their ability to compete. It is practice that makes perfect, the saying goes. This is why Jesus wants his hearers to be good listeners. Pay attention to how you listen, he tells us, so we could transmit to others and give as clear a witness as possible to Our Lord who is the Word of God. “Listen to him” the Father tells us. And Our Mother Mary tells us: “Do whatever he tells you to”. So we should listen carefully God’s call and let him light our lamp so that our light can shine before others.