No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light

 

 "No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light.  For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light.  Therefore take heed how you hear.  For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him."

Then His mother and brothers came to Him, and could not approach Him because of the crowd.  And it was told Him by some, who said, "Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You."  But He answered and said to them, "My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it."

Now it happened, on a certain day, that He got into a boat with His disciples.  And He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side of the lake."  And they launched out.  But as they sailed He fell asleep.  And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy.  And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Master, Master, we are perishing!"  Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water.  And they ceased, and there was a calm.  But he said to them, "Where is your faith?"  And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, "Who can this be?  For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!"

 

- Luke 8:16-25 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God.  And the twelve were with Him, and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities -- Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance.  And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable:  "A sower went out to sow his seed.  And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it.  Some fell on the rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture.  And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it.  But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold."  When He had said these things He cried, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  Then His disciples asked Him, saying, "What does this parable mean?"  And He said, "To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given 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 by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.  But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away.  Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.  But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience." 

 

 "No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light.  For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light.  Therefore take heed how you hear.  For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him."  Here, continuing in the context of yesterday's parable of the Sower (see above), Jesus speaks of His word as light.  The lamp to which He refers would have been understood as an image of one that burned oil, a flame giving illumination to the room.  So when we think of this light, it is an image of light emanated from a flame, and one that can be distributed and given to others.  It is also a kind of flame whose light sheds clarity on everything, opening up mysteries (to which He referred in yesterday's reading, above), and other things that are hidden.  We should remember that He's speaking to His disciples, including those who will be sent out with His word.

 

Then His mother and brothers came to Him, and could not approach Him because of the crowd.  And it was told Him by some, who said, "Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You."  But He answered and said to them, "My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it."   My study Bible comments that Christ's relatives have not yet understood His identity and mission.  Moreover, it was not Christ's will to deny His mother and brothers.  It quotes St. John Chrysostom, who comments that He is correcting both them and His hearers "to the right idea concerning Himself," that the family of His Kingdom "is not by nature but by virtue."  Note the emphasis yet again on living the word of God, following upon the theme of the parable of the Sower in yesterday's reading (above).  

 

 Now it happened, on a certain day, that He got into a boat with His disciples.  And He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side of the lake."  And they launched out.  But as they sailed He fell asleep.  And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy.  And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Master, Master, we are perishing!"  Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water.  And they ceased, and there was a calm.  But he said to them, "Where is your faith?"  And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, "Who can this be?  For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!"   My study Bible says that Christ deliberately permits the windstorm to arise while He is sleeping in order to perfect the faith of the disciples, and to rebuke their weaknesses -- so that they will eventually be unshaken by the temptations of life.  Here their faith is still mixed with unbelief:  they showed faith when they came to Him, but unbelief when they said, "We are perishing."

 

In today's reading, Jesus continues themes from His parable of the Sower, told in yesterday's reading (see above).  As the Sower (Jesus) sows His word, this "seed" goes out into the world, and it must take root in human hearts, and grow in their souls.  In this way it produces much fruit; according to the parable, even "a hundredfold."  That is, the word multiplies.  It's important that we see the ways that this happens, the unfolding of all kinds of ways in which the seed takes root and is lived and expressed through our lives, because this isn't just a simple single direction.  This is something which comes from the Creator, and is in its effects and energy, explosively creative itself.  That image of produce of "a hundredfold" is an image of all the ways in which the word can take root, blossom, and produce fruit through us and into the world.  The lamp that is lit as a flame and gives light all around is another such expression that gives us an image for the ways in which this word works.  If we think of Christ's word as the lamp, then the light it yields has all kinds of effects.  It spreads out to illumine an entire room; it brings mysteries to light, revealing truth.  And it can also reveal dark secrets that need healing and cleansing, our own hidden flaws we can do something to act upon.  The light also includes others who see it and experience it and may desire that flame for themselves.  It reminds us of the disciples on the road to Emmaus (also found in Luke's Gospel; see Luke 24:13-35).  After speaking unknowingly with the risen Christ, they suddenly realize in the breaking of bread who He is, and He vanishes from their sight.  They ask one another, "Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?"  That sensation of burning in the heart is another echo of the flame of the word which burns, warms, stirs within us, and kindles understanding and illumination, uplifting us with possibilities within its creative and dynamic action.  We need to see all of the outpourings of this word that starts with a seed, and the "hundredfold" possibilities that manifest as a result of it.  Jesus describes a new kind of family that His word will create as one of its actions.  This does not mean He rejects His family (after all, His mother also heard the word of God and did it, calling herself the "maidservant of the Lord"; see Luke 1:26-38), but it deeply instills in us a sense of communion, and a meaning to the deep bond between Mary and Jesus extending also to the faithful, as she has come to be understood by many as "Mother" as well.  When the disciples set sail across the sea and are caught in the windstorm, Jesus' presence with them and their developing faith become an occasion for teaching -- for the times when they will be sent out into the world carrying His word to all nations.  What each of these things says to us is something about the infinite creativity of this word, Christ's expression of a "hundredfold" yield in the parable of the Sower giving us a meaning of infinite fullness, a multiplicity beyond all expectations, and one that continues to grow in ways we can't anticipate nor possibly even define within our own limitations.  For this word is the seed of the Creator, and that is just what it is -- it is infinitely creative.  It has inspired artists of all times and disciplines, from architecture to art to music to poetry and all sorts of expressions throughout the centuries.  It brings us beauty in so many forms, manifest in all the arts, in forms of our worship services, to the everyday things that bless our homes, give us hope, and especially teach us about love and mercy so that we also shine the light from the lamp of His word.  Because this is what we are meant to do, and the word He has sent out that will not come back to Him empty.