“No
one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a container, or puts it under a bed; but puts it on a stand, that those who enter in may see the light.
Luke 8:16
Luke 8 [10.] He said, “To you it is given to know the mysteries of God’s Kingdom, but to the rest in parables; that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’ Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those along the road are those who hear, then the devil comes, and takes away the word from their heart, that they may not believe and be saved. Those on the rock are they who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; but these have no root, who believe for a while, then fall away in time of temptation. That which fell among the thorns, these are those who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity. That in the good ground, these are such as in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, hold it tightly, and produces fruit with patience.
Luke 8 [16.] “No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a container, or puts it under a bed; but puts it on a stand, that those who enter in may see the light. For nothing is hidden, that will not be revealed; nor anything secret, that will not be known and come to light. Be careful therefore how you hear. For whoever has, to him will be given; and whoever doesn’t have, from him will be taken away even that which he thinks he has.”
Luke 8 [19.] His mother and brothers came to him, and they could not come near him for the crowd. Some people told him, “Your mother and your brothers stand outside, desiring to see you.”
Meaning:
Jesus has just explained the parable of the farmer and the soils, ending with the good ground: those who hear the word with “an honest and good heart,” hold it tightly and bear fruit (Luke 8:15). Now he adds a short picture from everyday life. A lamp is meant to give light, not to be hidden. The word of God that his disciples have received is meant to shine.
- “When he has lit a lamp”
The lamps of Jesus’ day were small clay bowls of olive oil with a flax wick, enough to light a one-room house. Oil cost money, so nobody would light a lamp only to smother it. What would be foolish with an ordinary lamp is just as foolish with the light of God’s word.
- “Covers it with a container, or puts it under a bed”
A container placed over a lamp would hide the light and might even put the flame out. A lamp pushed under a bed would be useless and could set the house on fire. Jesus describes absurd behaviour to make his listeners think. Mark records the same saying as a question (Mark 4:21).
- “But puts it on a stand”
A lamp belonged on a lampstand or a ledge in the wall, raised up so that its light filled the room. The light is not for the lamp’s own sake but for others: “that those who enter in may see the light.” The light of the gospel is for those who are still outside and will come in.
- The lamp and the word
In this setting the lamp stands for the message of God’s Kingdom which Jesus had just been explaining. The psalmist says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light for my path” (Psalm 119:105). The disciples were being given “the mysteries of God’s Kingdom” (Luke 8:10), but not so they could keep them to themselves. What Jesus taught them privately was meant to be proclaimed openly, as the next verse says: “For nothing is hidden, that will not be revealed” (Luke 8:17).
The Significance of Luke 8:16
- Let your light shine
Jesus used a similar picture in the Sermon on the Mount, telling his followers, “Even so, let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Faith hidden out of fear or embarrassment is like a lamp under a bed.
- The true light
Jesus himself is the source of this light: “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12). His followers shine with borrowed light, like lamps lit from his flame.
Cross-References:
Mark 4:21: "Is the lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Isn’t it put on a stand?" The same saying in Mark.
Matthew 5:16: "Even so, let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." Good works that point to God.
Psalm 119:105: "Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light for my path." God’s word as light.
Conclusion: In Luke 8:16 Jesus reminds his listeners that no one lights a lamp and then hides it under a container or a bed. A lamp belongs on a stand, so that those who come in can see. The word of God received by the disciples is meant to shine openly for others.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible