Luke 8:16-18 16And no one after lighting a lamp hides it with a jar or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand, so that those who come in may see the light. 17For nothing is hidden that will not be made visible, nor is anything hidden that will not be known and come into the light. 18Therefore, watch how you hear, for whoever has, it will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.”
The parable of the soils transitions into another parable about a lamp. The passage is similar to Mark 4:21-25, but as in most cases, Luke has his own special emphasis. Oil lamps were common essentials in homes of that time. They were small, easy to make, and the only source of light after the sun went down. It would make no sense to light one of these lamps and then put it under a jar, bowl, or bed because it would defeat the purpose of lighting it in the first place. The purpose of a lamp is to give light, just like the purpose of a seed is to produce more seeds. We can stop both of these from fulfilling their purposes, or we can be instrumental by following the way of faith and obedience.
Verse 17 gives a proverb based on the short parable of verse 16. The saying serves as a form of warning about stopping the light from shining. One of the reasons to hide the light is to hide what one does in the light. Darkness is known for being a time to do unholy activities in secret so that no one else will know. The light reveals the deeds of darkness, including sin, and points the way to new things, such as the new life from Jesus who is the Light of the World. For the light of the gospel to shine in a person’s life, that person must be willing to have the Holy Spirit expose sin and ungodly thoughts and actions so that they can be confessed and forgiven. For seeds to grow into a harvest in God’s kingdom, Jesus’ disciples need to follow the way of light by allowing it to reveal hidden and secret sins of the heart.
Verse 18 gives the timeless truth and application of the proverb and fits well with the parable of the seeds and soil and the parable of the hidden and revealed lamp. Those who listen and obey the word of truth about God’s kingdom and discipleship will grow in their faith. They will bear fruit, and their light will shine as a witness. Those who do not obey Jesus’ teachings only harden their hearts more. They will be unproductive and may spiritually wither away. They will have no witness, and they will not be and do as God has created us to be and do. They will become calloused so that no new revelation comes to them. They will act like what Jesus mentioned previously in verses 10-11 and lose out on all God promised. These parables inspired disciples to be dedicated about obedience to Jesus’ teaching and warned people like the scribes and Pharisees about the consequences of rejecting this.
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