In verse 21 Jesus asked two questions after He
had explained the meaning of the parable of the sower to His disciples. These
two questions explain the purpose of the parable He had spoken. He asked, “A
lamp is not brought to be put under a basket, is it, or under a bed? Is it not brought to be put on the lampstand?”
In the original language the first question in verse
21 presupposes “no” for an answer. So it is better seen this way: You don’t
bring a lit lamp and put it under a bushel do you? It tells us that no one ever
put his lit lamp under something to conceal its light. The second question
presupposes “yes” for an answer. It’s better to translate the second question
this way: “A lamp is brought to put on the lampstand, doesn’t it?” This question presumes that everyone knows
that a lit lamp must be placed on a lampstand to provide light, for that’s its
purpose.
Jesus spoke
about His coming and the mystery of the presence of the Kingdom of Heaven in parables. Now like a lamp, the
purpose of a parable was to shed light so that His presence and the Kingdom He
came to proclaim could be understood. His parables were intended to give
understanding to spiritual truth and help to enlighten and not to keep people
in the dark.
So in verse 22 He continued by saying that ultimately
what appeared to be hidden now would be made known. It is safe to conclude that
Jesus meant both His presence and His Kingdom.
They seemed to be hidden but they would not remain that way forever, but will be
proclaimed and made known across the world ultimately. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world; he who follows Me will not
walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” He is the lit lamp that shed the light of life
so that we can live life abundantly.
He will shed light on what true life really is. We must
follow Him closely and consistently. Let’s follow Him with our whole heart and
not stray from the path of His light! Let’s heed the call of verse 23, “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”
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