No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light. For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad. Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have. Luke 8:16-18
Shall we then focus on the light aspect of the lit candle and in the context of the teachings of the Lord in the referenced texts. In Luke 8:16-18, the Lord had just explained the parable of the sower, and He had told them specifically in verse 10, that it was given to them to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God. His statement concerning the lit candle –
No one lights a lamp and then hides it, covering it over or putting it where no one sees its light. No, he places the lamp on a lampstand so others benefit from its brightness. Because this revelation lamp now shines within you, nothing will be hidden from you—it will all be revealed. Every secret of the kingdom will be unveiled and out in the open, made known by the revelation-light.
– was clear instruction that the principles of the kingdom of God were not intended to remain secrets with the disciples, rather as lights to the world, they were to communicate the same to others; that the light of the gospel, the knowledge of the doctrines of which they had been imparted with were not to be concealed in their hearts, but to be shared and diffused to others. Are we doing that?
Luke 11:29-33 reveals another dimension, where the Lord was addressing sign seekers for the vindication or authentication of His ministry!
As the crowds continued to swell, Jesus went on to say, “How evil is this generation! When you demand a mighty display of power simply to prove who I am, you demonstrate your unbelief. The only sign you will see will be a repeat of the miracle of Jonah. In the same way Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so the Son of Man will be a sign to this generation.
The Queen of Sheba will rise up on the day of judgment to accuse and condemn this generation for its unbelief. She journeyed from a far and distant land just to listen to the wisdom of King Solomon. One greater than Solomon speaks with you today, but you refuse to listen. Yes, the people of Nineveh will also rise up on the day of judgment to accuse and condemn this generation. For they all repented when they heard the preaching of Jonah, but you refuse to repent. Yet there is one greater than Jonah who is preaching to you today.
No one would think of lighting a lamp and then hiding it in the basement where no one would benefit. A lamp belongs on a lampstand, where all who enter may see its light.
He put the sign of resurrection in the open as spoken in the word yet they neither saw it nor did they understand what He was saying. Vindication of a man’s ministry is not in the display of power; it is in the alignment of his teachings or utterances with the written word of God. This generation needs to learn this and the failure to learn this is the reason that so many are deceived today. When the disciples came back in Luke 10:17-20, His word to them was that the cause for rejoicing is not that demons were subject to them but that their names were written in heaven. That is a mouthful to reflect upon. Yes, signs and wonders will accompany the preaching of the gospel, but the celebration is for deliverance from the prince of the power of the air and our translation to the Kingdom of God.
The Lord was saying that THE sign was prefigured in Jonah, the mighty resurrection that would happen after three days and three nights! The people seeking signs were focused on the wrong things, and that is why they missed it. Dear child of God, may you not miss the day of your calling!
Lastly the flame of the lit candle always points upward, a sign of heavenly and undistracted focus. Colossians 3:1-3:
Christ’s resurrection is your resurrection too. Therefore, we are to yearn for all that is above, for that’s where Christ sits enthroned at the place of all power, honor, and authority. Yes, feast on all the treasures of the heavenly realm and fill your thoughts with heavenly realities, and not with the distractions of the natural realm. Your crucifixion with Christ has severed the tie to this life, and now your true life is hidden away in God in Christ.
Is this true of you? Selah
Leave a Reply