Daily Devotions
Luke
Luke 8 : 4-18 "POWERFUL LOGIC"
Day 97 – Luke 8
Text: Luke 8 : 4-18
POWERFUL LOGIC
There was powerful logic behind the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Whether it was His exposition, or His parables, the logic behind His teaching was inescapable.
Jesus had sought to draw the attention of the multitudes to His primary ministry – the teaching of the Scriptures, God’s Word. Sadly, few comprehended what He sought to do.
They came instead to be healed. They brought to Him many who were blind, lame, and demonized. Gently, lovingly He healed all of them. As He healed the people, He must have often spoken to them of the Kingdom of God.
At times, he would address the greater needs of the soul with those who came to Him for help. He would speak about how their sins could be forgiven (Luke 5:24; 7:47). But if the reaction from the Pharisees and the Scribes are any indication, these words of Jesus were not well understood, let alone well-received!
Nevertheless, Jesus sought to teach with powerful logic. Perhaps, somehow, somewhere, the logic behind His teaching would cause them to ponder and meditate on the Word taught!
LONG OR SHORT PARABLES
Sometimes, the Lord Jesus would speak a long parable as in the case of the Parable of the Sower. At other times, Jesus would use short parabolic statements. Both have their uses and both can be very effective in teaching truths!
A shorter parable does not mean that it is of lesser importance. Jesus wisely used shorter parables to do a number of things:-
1. To reinforce a parable that has just been told
2. To illustrate
3. To add further insight or understanding
THE PARABLE OF THE LAMP
Why does a person light a lamp? What should the person do with a lamp that has already been lit?
Would the person cover the lamp that has been lit? Would he hide the lamp under a vessel? Would he hide it under the bed? (Cf. Luke 8:16).
The answers to these rhetorical questions are obvious! Nobody would be so foolish as to hide a lamp that has been lit! Any attempt to hide the light would be contrary to sound reason.
The very reason why a person would light a lamp is obvious. It is to shed light. This short but powerful parable has a powerful logic behind it. The lamp that is lit must shine, as it was meant to do. It must bring that blessed light to those in a darkened home. There is no need to grope in the darkness if there is a lamp that has been lit. Every one could understand this parable. All would have at one point or another have lit a lamp and used it in the home!
JESUS – THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
Jesus understood Himself as “The Light of the world” (John 8:12). The Gospel of John highlights this aspect of the Life of the Lord Jesus. John portrayed Jesus as the One who lights everyone who comes into the world (John 1:4,9). He was the True Light, so wrote John in his Gospel narrative (John 1:9).
Light shone in the life of the Lord Jesus. His teachings brought light. As He made the physically blind to see, so He can give sight to the spiritually blind. No one needs to walk, stumbling in darkness.
THE DISCIPLES AS “THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD” (Matthew 5:14, 16)
In Matthew’s account of the Sermon on the Mount, he wrote of how Jesus taught His Disciples to be conscious of what it means to be His Disciples, and instructed in the Word. They must seek to be the light of world. They must seek to let their light so shine before men.
Whereas the Lord Jesus Christ expounded this teaching to His Disciples, He taught by a parable a similar truth. What is the ultimate purpose of being instructed in the Word of God? What was Jesus seeking to do when He opened up the Scriptures and taught from there? Surely, it was to give light.
Our lives may be likened to lamps. They need to be lit. The teachings of Jesus would cause the lamps of our life to be lit. And after the lamps are lit, we must shine for the Lord. We cannot hide the light that Jesus has given to us… if indeed we have had our lamps lit by the Lord Jesus.
“FOR WHOEVER HAS, TO HIM MORE WILL BE GIVEN; AND WHOEVER DOES NOT HAVE, EVEN WHAT HE SEEMS TO HAVE WILL BE TAKEN FROM HIM .” Luke 8:18
The Lord Jesus concluded His message with this challenging and also sobering truth:-
1. Those who understand and appreciate what Jesus taught – they will be given even more wonderful teachings.
2. Those who are not interested, and they disdain what Jesus taught – even what they seem to have will be taken from them – that is, the knowledge and truth given by the Lord can be taken away.
How are we responding to the Word of the Lord as we read it? Do we see our lives shining as lamps that are lit?
Let us take this admonition from the Lord Jesus very seriously. If we prove ourselves faithful in receiving the Word of God into our hearts, we can expect that the Lord will teach us deeper lessons. However, if we have no regard for God’s Word at all, and we still live in the darkness of sin, then one day, we may find that we cannot appreciate things spiritual anymore. Let us examine our hearts candidly… as always.