THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF TRUTH AND LIGHT

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LUKE 8:16-21
Lesson #24
THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF TRUTH AND LIGHT

• Memory Verse: Joh 8:12
• Luke continues to tell us some of the details from the Sermon on the Mount in Mat 5, 6. 7.
  • We have seen that Jesus gave these teachings various times and in various locations during His ministry.
  • In fact the parable that Luke presents to us in Luk 8:16-18 is repeated again in Luk 11:33-36.
• Read Luk 8:16-18 The Parable of Light and the City (Mat 5:14-16 Mar 4:21-23 Luk 11:33-36)
  • Because this parable is given 4 times in scripture (twice in Luke), it must be very important for us to understand it.
    • Read Mat 5:14-16
    • Read Mar 4:21-23
    • Read Luk 11:33-36
  • What is the central truth of this parable?
    • The believer in Jesus Christ, filled with the Holy Spirit, carries the light of the truth of Jesus Christ.
    • Therefore, he is a bold, penetrating witness against the darkness of the evil world system and glorifies God.
  • What is meant by light?
    • Light represents truth. (Psa 43:3)
    • Remember that in Jesus’ time, light was not electrical, but it was made by burning oil.
      • Oil in scripture is one of the symbols of the Holy Spirit.
      • Read Joh 16:14 to understand one of the functions of the Holy Spirit in an individual’s life.
    • One of the actions that the Holy Spirit performs in a person’s life is to lift up and magnify Jesus Christ.
      • The Holy Spirit knows the hearts of people.
      • He knows when a person is ready to receive the truth of God.
      • The Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of Life (Rom 8:2) and the Spirit of truth. (Joh 14:17)
  • What are the requirements to see light?
    • The blindness and darkness are equally restrictive.
    • Therefore, light requires that a person have at least one functioning eye to see light.
      • Spiritually speaking, a person needs to be able to see spiritually that Jesus Christ is the light of the world.
      • This is the work of the Holy Spirit that enables a person to see spiritually.
  • Aspects of light in scripture:
    • Jesus Christ said that He was the light of the world in Joh 8:12.
    • The word of God is called the light in 2Cor 4:4,6.
    • In this parable, believers are called the light.
      • Read Phil 2:15
      • The Greek word for light here is “illuminaries” which means that the believer is a bearer of the light.
      • Therefore, as we live according to the word of God with the burning oil of the Holy Spirit within us, we reflect and therefore magnify Jesus Christ who is the true light of the world.
  • What does “under the bed” or “in the bushel basket” represent?
    • The light of a candle put under a basket would be quenched due to a lack of air.
    • A Christian that hides his witness of Jesus Christ quenches the Holy Spirit.
      • 1The 5:19 tells us not to quench the Holy Spirit.
      • A carnal Christian, whose life appears no different than a non-believer’s, has quenched the Holy Spirit.
    • “Under the bed” represents domestic activities. “In the bushel basket” represents commercial activity.
      • The Christian is not to let either his domestic activities or his commercial or economic priorities overshadow his Christian witness.
      • In other words, in all aspects of his life, the Christian is supposed to display the light of Christ inside of him.
  • What does the lampstand or candlestick represent?
    • The lampstand or candlestick in scripture:
      • In Exo 25:31-40, the lampstand in the tabernacle represented Jesus Christ.
      • In Rev 1:20, the lampstand represents the New Testament church.
    • Therefore, the oil of the lampstand represents the Holy Spirit that produces the light of Christ in the individual believer and enables the Christian to be a light bearer for Christ.
  • What does the city on a hill represent? (from the parable in Matthew 5)
    • A city at night is a cluster of individual lights.
    • In other words, the church of believers in Jesus Christ, filled with the Holy Spirit, presents a bright witness to the world.
      • Read 1Joh 1:5-7
      • Read 1Joh 2:8-11 John combines light with love in these passages.
  • What are some characteristics of light?
    • =1= Light penetrates darkness.
    • =2= Light cannot coexist with darkness.
    • =3= Light can be either dim or bright.
    • =4= Light is either natural, artificial, or reflected.
  • Discussion: How do these four characteristics relate to the Christian life?
• Summary and application:
  • This parable speaks of a vibrant witness for Christ by the Christian filled with the Holy Spirit.
    • Light, working externally and boldly through the Christian’s witness, points the way to God through Jesus Christ.
    • For some non-believers, the light of truth in a Christian’s life is the only testimony for Christ that a person will see.
  • Each aspect of the parable given in the four passages of the gospels presents a variation of added thought and warning:
    • In Luke 8:16-18
      • We are told that nothing is secret but that God reveals His truth where and when He desires.
      • There is a warning given as to how a person hears the truth.
        • “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.”(18)
        • In other words, the believer is responsible to use what truth he hears by putting it into practice in his life, and by sharing that truth with others.
    • In Luk 11:33-36
      • We are told that there is such thing as a “single eye”.
      • “The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness.” (344)
        • The single eye represents a unified purpose in the Christian life.
        • When the purpose of the believer is to glorify Jesus Christ in his life, he has a single purpose.

The single purpose makes the light shine brighter in the Christian’s life.

The warning of a single eye or single purpose is that when a believer’s purpose is divided to sometimes glorify Christ and sometimes glorify himself, his light to the world is dimed by worldly darkness.

• • • In Mat 5:14-16
      • “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”(16)
      • The Holy Spirit will produce good works in the life of the believer that are to glorify God.
    • In Mar 4:21-23
      • “If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.” (23)
      • The wise believer will receive the warnings to make sure his life reflects the light of Christ in every aspect of his activities so that he glorifies Christ in all that he does.
• Read Luk 8:19-21
  • Jesus’ mother and brothers were unable to see him because of the great multitude of people around him.
  • Jesus’ response gives us a living example of the parable we just studied, for He said that his mother and brothers did the word of God.
    • In other words, their lives exhibited the spiritual light that they had at that time before the event of the crucifixion.
    • Of course we know that his brothers did not accept Christ as their Messiah until after the crucifixion.

Homework
Luke 8:22-39

• Application of Luk 8:16-21
  • On a scale of 1-10, how well do you reflect the light of spiritual truth that God has given to you?
    • 1 (not so much) 5 (about half of the time) 10 (all of the time)
  • What changes do you need to make in your attitude to be a shining light for Jesus Christ in all aspects of your life?
• Preparation for Luk 8:22-39
  • Read Luk 8:22-39
    • When God obviously tells you something, do you really believe it? (Think about this before you answer it.)
      • What did Jesus tell the disciples that they really didn’t believe?
    • Why did Jesus tell the man to return to his own town instead of following Jesus? (38-39)
• Memory Verse: Psa 56:4