This Scripture changed my week for the better.

I had several goals for 2015. The only one I’ve made much headway on was “study Jesus in 2015.” In fact, this week I came across a commentary, on Luke 8:16, that profoundly changed my thoughts!

I have never been real big on reading commentaries or even the study notes in the several study Bibles that I own. In fact, Daniel ripped out so many of the first pages of my oldest study Bible, I don’t even know what version it is. HA!!  Parent problems!

HOWEVER, part of my goal is to STUDY, not just read this year, so I’m living outside my comfort zone. This week I pulled one of Alan’s off the shelf that has moved with us every blessed time we’ve moved, all over the country, and yet I have never once opened it. It has chapter by chapter explanations, and I think it’s swell. 🙂

Yeah. It’s expensive too. That means it’s either really good or out of print. Either way, if you buy it, I make 6% profit, and that’s why being a blogger is cool. 😉

Anyway. I blew the dust off of it, and gave it a look-see. It changed my week. Not really. IT didn’t. It just introduced a thought into my head–a JESUS thought–that changed my week.

These verses that I am referring to come directly following Jesus’s explanation of the parable of the sower, Luke 8:11-15.  Hang with me, this DOES get good, I promise.

Luke 8:16-18

The Parable of the Revealed Light

¹⁶ “No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light. ¹⁷ For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light. ¹⁸ Therefore take heed how you hear. 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.”

Now, just so you know, that’s Jesus talking.  I always kind of thought this was just like the “let your light shine before men” verses. The Holy Spirit lives in all those who have accepted Jesus as their Savior, so we need to share that wonderfulness with others.

But, as I read it in its context, that didn’t relate much to 17 and 18, and I didn’t get 18 at all.

My study Bible bailed on commenting on these verses, as did Halley’s Bible Commentary.

I LOVED how Larry Richards explains it, though. This is on page 659 of The Bible Reader’s Companion.

First, he described how important lamps were–hello–no electricity, so they left the lamp burning all night, for the benefit of those who entered the home in the dark. When someone entered the circa 30 AD housing, he would see only the light at first.

So here’s where I think it gets GOOD:

“One must see Jesus first and only. When we have fixed our eyes on Jesus, we can be sure that the hidden things of our life will gradually be revealed to us. He is the key to our understanding of all things and possession of all spiritual insights. Seeing Him we will be given more. Not seeing Him, even the little spiritual insight we have will be taken away.”  (p.659)

This makes SO MUCH more sense than anything I thought up on my own to explain these verses. I never could understand that whole “even what he has will be taken away” part, but Jesus isn’t talking about worldly things. I have such a hard time not thinking in worldly terms!! Jesus is talking about spiritual understanding.

So how did this radically change my week?

Oh, this is hard to explain, and I have really always been one to keep my spiritual feelings to myself. These things are so personal. I share in hopes that it will also help someone else.

I’ve always gone to church, and I have listened to excellent preachers and teachers, but I have never gone to any Christian schools. I grew up in more of a young Christian house. Mom got saved when I was seven, and we kids were saved soon after. Naturally, we were still learning the simple truths of God’s word back then. Nowadays, my parents go to a Bible college, and they probably know a lot more of the details than I do. They get tested on it! But I’ve never been tested on the Bible.

I heard the idea, “always focus on Jesus.” but I didn’t understand how to apply it, until I HAD to. It was not until this year, this trying, patience-provoking, pushing the limits of my capabilities, year, that I learned to keep my eyes ALWAYS on Jesus.

Isn’t it funny how we have to sometimes travel down the rockiest of roads to come to the end of ourselves? God has helped me to do tons of things, my whole life, don’t get me wrong, but this was a year of staring hard at that light. (first year of homeschooling, cross-country move, the baby that didn’t sleep, etc….)

I’ve been applying that to my life, everywhere. It pops into my head constantly, “Look at the light. Jesus is the light.”

“You’ll get through this. Focus on Jesus, and the pieces will make more sense.”

The point is:

Jesus is the light.

If we are looking at Him, all the things that need to be revealed to us will be so much easier to see.

Listen closely to His words.

Whoever is looking at Jesus, will grow more and more spiritually, and if we are not looking at Jesus, even the spiritual understanding that we have will be lost. 

Wishing you all a happy weekend!