Lampstands and True Kin—Luke 8:16-21

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Please read today's text here: Luke 8:16-21

These two episodes have no link that is stronger than what links them to the episodes preceding. Everything is focused on discipleship: its true nature, its risks, obstacles and rewards. The soils showed both the hindrances (soils 1-3) and the potential rewards (soil 4 with its 100-fold yield).

The Lamp and its Stand (v. 16-18)

The Lamp represents Jesus' disciples. We know this because of what Matthew records him saying:

“You [disciples] are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good deeds, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16

If one lives as a true disciple—good soil—it is impossible for your light to be hidden from others. Some people's beliefs are shown by their dress: the skullcap worn by orthodox Jews, the Sikh's turban. Jesus' disciples will be known by their behavior, and principally by selfless love for others.

The final verse, 18, also has a word of advice to Jesus’ hearers that builds upon more of the preceding than just the parable of the Lamp. Let me paraphrase what I think he is saying:

Don’t just stand here listening to me out of curiosity. That is very dangerous. One can become desensitized to the truth from my mouth. Listen carefully, weigh my words, look into your hearts, and act upon what you hear and understand. More truth and more guidance will be given to whoever assimilates and acts upon what he has already heard. (100-fold!) But to the passive listener, the curiosity-seeker, even what he has heard will be taken from him—like the seeds gobbled up by the birds. Be careful how you listen to those who speak and teach to you the Word of God. Be careful how you read it daily. It is a horrible thing to become “immune” to the teaching of God.

True Kindred of Jesus (v. 19-21)

Whether or not the "brothers" of Jesus mentioned here were real children of his mother Mary or cousins, the point of the story is that she and they were close family relations, and as such could have been thought to have prior access to him. One day, when he was surrounded by crowds of listeners, which made it impossible for them to penetrate to him, they sent word through the crowd that they were seeking him. Sounds harmless enough, doesn’t it? Wouldn’t you want your mother to be able to reach you at any time in an emergency? Of course, we have no way of knowing that this was an “emergency”. Perhaps she thought so.

But Jesus had been teaching about discipleship and the rewards of true discipleship. One of those rewards is a special intimacy with Jesus himself. Jesus didn’t play favorites during his earthly ministry. Because Peter, James and John seem to have formed an inner circle according to some passages in the gospels, it is possible for some to get this false impression. But Jesus, like any good teacher, could at times draw one student closer and at other times another. All for the purpose of effective teaching, not because he had “pet” students. In addition, those disciples who listened most closely and changed their lives more drastically to conform to his teachings could not help but be more attune to Jesus, to understand what he meant more quickly. This was not the result of Jesus’ choosing one over another, but one disciple being more diligent than another.

Anyway, the thrust of his teaching had been on the fact that true disciples could become closer to him than any biological relationship. This now was the test of the sincerity of his teachings. Would he interrupt his teaching to give special preference to his mother and brothers? His reply to the messenger articulated his message to the disciples surrounding him:
“My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and obey it” (v. 21).

Now, Mary too was a devoted disciple of Jesus. So we should not use this verse to say that those of us who hear and obey Jesus are closer to him than she was in her status as an obedient disciple. But we can say that both she and we as obedient disciples are loved by him more than a son’s natural love for his own mother, and—when I think of how I love my mother—that is saying a lot!