“For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open” (Luke 8:17).
After discussing the fruit that must be produced by righteous soil, Jesus provides another comparison. He says, “No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light” (v. 16). By this, He means that we shine our light before men, and it would be just short of treason to our Lord to pretend that we are not Christians.
There is no point in trying to avoid exposure as Christians because eventually everyone will be exposed before God. Those who are willing to be known as serious believers need not fear that exposure because their sins are hidden in Christ. Those who seek to conceal their sins and refuse to ally with the Lord in this world, however, will be exposed on the Day of Judgment.
Jesus makes an application in verse 18: “Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him.” Jesus is saying we must open our ears to God’s Word. When it comes to the words of Christ, there is no neutrality: You either respond in faith and move from grace to grace and from light to light, or else you respond in unbelief and move from darkness to darkness and from death to death. Those who have received the kingdom will get more and more as they listen, while those who close their ears will lose even the little that they have.
Let me ask you this question: How do you handle your secrets? What are the things you seek to conceal from other people, and what do they tell you about your life? Are those things hid in Christ—secrets you keep in order to avoid scandal to the Gospel or to protect someone’s reputation; or are they shameful things you are trying to conceal from the gaze of God? If the latter, surely they will be exposed by Christ. Those are the only options we have. With Christ, there is no neutrality.
Believers are faced with the daily temptation to hide their light. Peer pressure (whether in school, neighborhood or the business community) can be strong and intimidating. How well does your light shine? Decide today how you can make your faith more visible to those around you.
