Daily Bible Reading 8th July 2026 // Luke 8:16-21
16 “No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light. 17 For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light. 18 Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away.”
19 Then his mother and his brothers came to him, but they could not reach him because of the crowd. 20 And he was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see you.” 21 But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”
The parabolic sayings in 16 are clearly a continuation or variation of the theme of the parable of the sower. As one commentator puts it, 'When God kindles a light in the lives of men, they must let it shine for the benefit of others. God's revelation begins as a private discovery and ends as a public trust. It grows with sharing, and those who try to keep it for themselves find they have lost even what they thought they had. Israel had been entrusted with God's light, but only in order to be a light to lighten the Gentiles (Isaiah 49:6); and, instead of allowing the light to shine, she had concentrated her efforts on protecting the flame from extinction.' The whole point about lighting a lamp is that it should give light to others. 'The responsibility of every Christian is first to be enlightened, and then to shine.' What we receive, we must pass on to others. Two lessons are implicit in Jesus' words: on the one hand, it is unnatural to hide the light; on the other hand, it is impossible to hide it - it must out, if it remains alight at all! This is further emphasised - and the link with the previous parable maintained - by what Jesus says in 21: the rich harvest of God's word, and the bright shining of God's light, involves obedience. Those who are brothers and sisters of Jesus must be sons and daughters of God, and to be this they must 'hear the word of God and do it'. Right hearing of the word, therefore (18), is everything. What challenge there is in Jesus' words! But what encouragement also, and what ineffable compensations for those who hear and do, for this brings them into the glad family relationship of the kingdom of God!