The life of a disciple of Christ is a journey. The journey does not end until you breathe your last breath. Up until that point in time you are either journeying closer to the Lord or you are journeying away from the Lord. The idea that one can stay put is a falsehood. Our Gospel today provides us with three key principals by which we can take stock of our spiritual life and determine if we are journeying towards the Lord or away from him.
A Lamp under a Jar – Luke 8 : 16-18
No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a vessel, or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand, that those who enter may see the light. For nothing is hid that shall not be made manifest, nor anything secret that shall not be known and come to light. Take heed then how you hear; for to him who has will more be given, and from him who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away.
Scriptural Analysis
In today’s Gospel we are presented with what is often called the parable of the lamp. This is really a misnomer since the verses are three independent sayings about the life of a disciple. Luke’s Gospel follows the same pattern as Mark’s Gospel where these three sayings are placed immediately after the parable of the sower. The fact they are grouped together does not necessarily mean that Jesus said them together or directly tied them to the parable of the sower. This may have been a construct of the Gospel writers. Regardless, the principals tie in nicely with the parable of the sower and are important for the disciple to understand.
The first saying revolves around the image of a lamp. The lamp is a metaphor for the word of God and should instantly harken the reader back to the Psalms “Thy word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105) As one hears the word of God and allows it to fill them, they become like a lamp: a sign so that others may see the light of God. Once someone receives the word of God, believes, and is saved, they then light the way for others so that they too may receive and believe. The Gospel is a treasure intended to be shared with the world and not hidden away.
The second saying revolves around secrecy. There is nothing hidden that will not be known. This operates on three levels. First, we can’t hide things from ourselves. We may try to ignore certain habits and actions, the consequences of which we are well aware, but they will eventually consume us, much like ignoring the symptoms of an illness will have disastrous consequences. Second, we attempt to hide things from our fellow man. However, things always have a way of coming out therefore happy is the man who has no secrets. Lastly, we try to hide things from God. That is an impossible task for as we are told in Genesis:, “Thou art a God of seeing.” (Genesis 16:13) God knows all and nothing can be kept from him.
The final saying can be a bit confusing, “to him who has will more be given, and from him who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away.” On the surface that phrases sounds like the old aphorism, “The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.” However, what Jesus is telling us in this line is that the one who seeks will find and the one who does not will lose even what he has. For example, think of learning a foreign language. In order to retain and grow in that language you must continually use the language. The minute you stop using it, you begin to lose what you knew. The spiritual life is very much the same. There must be continued effort to learn and grown in our relationship with the Lord otherwise even what we have will go away.
Application
While these three sayings or principals are separate there is nevertheless a connective thread running through them. They all reveal something about the nature of the life of a Christian. At the heart of the Christian life is the Great Commissioning from the Gospel of Matthew, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28 : 19-20) The Christian is meant to share the Good News and not keep it for himself. Our faith is to be visible, not invisible. We are all charged with this responsibility and thus we must always be growing and prepared to share the Good News when the opportunity presents itself.
As we receive the word of God and allow it to transform us, we are to be like lamps that illuminate the path for others. That means we need to be different. There should be something different about us as opposed to the world so that people can recognize that difference and then follow it. It also means we are not to hide this transformation and difference. We don’t put on a disguise when we are the public nor do we adopt the cultural conventions of those around us to that extent that these conventions are contrary to the Gospel. Rather, we allow our faith to shine brightly so that others may see.
Sin that we carry with us, dulls the lamp: blocks out the light. No matter how much we hide it, it will eventually come out and extinguish the lamp. Think of the numerous priest and bishops caught up in the abuse scandal. That sin put out their lamps: the faithful and the world no longer listen to them. For us to carry out the Great Commissioning we must not hide our sins. Rather, we must confess them, do penance, and strive to sin no more. Regular reception of the Sacrament of Reconciliation is key to the spiritual life as it allows us to reveal what we have hidden.
Faith also needs to be continually fed and nourished. It must be exercised otherwise our faith will wither and die. As an example, consider an athlete. They continually train not only to improve more but also in order to keep the performance gains that have already achieved and not lose them. If they stop their training, the gains they have achieved will be lost. So too is it with faith and the spiritual life. You have to continually advance and grow. You do this through prayer, reading the word of God, reading good Catholic writings, and of course by participating in the liturgical life of the Church: by going to Mass.
To be a Christian is to be a person of action. It is not a passive existence. We must always be working and striving in our own life to be a lamp for others, to root out sin, and to grow in our understanding and relationship with the Lord. If we do not, we will not be able to answers the call of Jesus: the call to go out into the world creating disciples. This action requires us to be discipled. It is hard and the evil one tries all he can to keep us from doing these things. In those moments turn to Mary and St. Jospeh. Ask for their intercession. Ask them to help you grow closer to their son so that you can be a bright light, illuminating the path to the Lord for all those you meet .
Additional Resources
Comments