Light Day 28: Luke 8:11-18

Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.
And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.
But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.
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.

Hear and bear fruit: this is the admonition that Jesus continually repeats. The essence of this charge is summed up in the final verse of this passage: “Take heed therefore how ye hear.”

It’s not enough just to hear. It’s not enough just to be a candle that is lit. How we hear – how we receive the light of the word of God – is crucially important.

Two analogies are given in this passage to explain this key point: the analogy of the seed and the analogy of the candle. Both describe how to hear.

The candle analogy might seem a bit blurred: how can we receive God’s light upon a candlestick instead of putting it under a vessel or a bed? The parable of the seed sown is clear: in order to bear fruit, when you hear the word of God, you must keep it. Under a vessel or a bed, not only is the room in darkness, but the flame is also deprived of air and quickly goes out. Similarly. when we hear the word of God, if we simply store it in our physical brain, forget about it, and move on to something else, it will not bear the fruit of illuminating our being. Each of the verses about seed on the wayside, stony ground, and thorn ground also demonstrate this point.

Since keeping the word of God is the key to setting our light on a candlestick and hearing in a way that brings forth fruit, what does it mean to keep it?

The Greek word translated keep in this particular passage means “to hold down, to hold fast.” The picture is something being held securely – making certain we have sure possession of it, keeping it safe, clinging tightly to it.

Is this the way you are hearing the word of God? Is it your treasure – do you truly value every word of God? Do you ponder it, guard it, and hold it tightly, making it the priority of your thoughts so that it implants itself in your heart and belief system?

If the eye is the light of the body, the conscious mind is its candlestick. What you think about is what comes out of our mouth and through your behavior. What you think about becomes your belief system. May those who enter your life see and recognize the light of the Word of God shining brightly through you!