Jesus said to the crowd:
“No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel
or sets it under a bed;
rather, he places it on a lampstand
so that those who enter may see the light.
For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible,
and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light.
Take care, then, how you hear.
To anyone who has, more will be given,
and from the one who has not,
even what he seems to have will be taken away.”
Lectio (Reading)
Read the passage twice and get a sense of what it is saying. Pay attention to what strikes you.Meditatio (Reflecting)
Slowly read the passage again, pausing on words or phrases that stands out. Take time to consider the meaning. particularly in your life.No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel or sets it under a bed; rather, he places it on a lampstand so that those who enter may see the light.
Oratio (Responding)
Read the passage again, slowly. Consider how God has spoken to you and respond back to Him. You may want to consider how this passage is asking you to act differently.What does this parable mean? Light by its very nature is meant to be shared. It is useless when concealed. We put our lights in the ceiling of our homes or at the top of lamppoles, so it can be spread as far as possible. The light of Christ is the greatest of all light, and it must be shared with every soul on this planet. Whether they like it or not, whether they know it or not. That is the main point of this parable, but there are other ways to interpret at this analogy as well, and they are all deeply meaningful.
Light has many attributes, and when we explore them further, I think it will bring even more understanding. Light enhances everything touched by it. It gives of itself to make the things around it better, it makes the things that it comes into contact more like that thing. Light makes a thing more clearly visible, and not hidden in darkness, and so light is what helps you to know that thing, as what it truely is. Light also has the ability to purify. Dark and wet places grow bacteria, and disease, but places that are illuminated by direct sunlight are the opposite, they are dry and sterile. With enough time, anything placed in the light will be purified. Finally, Light has a spiritual warfare attributes as well. Consider the image of the cockroaches scurrying away when the lights come on, this is the same with the devil and his demons, they love to live in the darkness and shadows, and they hate light, they hate having their ugliness exposed.
So today Jesus is saying that we have to be like light in the world. We have to enhance the world around us, shining light on it, and making it better. We have to use our nature and our connection with Jesus to purify those that we come into contact with every day. And we have to fight off the evil, conquering our worlds, claiming them for christ, and making them intolerable places for the evil forces of the world to ever return. It may seem like a tall order to fulfill, but with God all things are possible. So go out and be the light of christ to all the world, and proclaim it to all the nations with courage and vigor, and when we do, we will ultimately fulfill Jesus’ words, and the remove the evil from our midst.
Contemplatio (Contemplating)
Take time to simply remain in the presence of God.Resolutio (Resolving)
Make a resolution that will improve your life, your relationships, or your faith. Make it small and attainable, and do it.Oh lord, give me the strength and knowledge to share your light with the whole world.