Welcoming the Light of Life
Series: Encountering Jesus (through the Gospel of Luke)
Brad Bailey – August 4, 2019
#33 in series
Text: Luke 11:27-36
Intro
Today we going to engage the nature of light.
Light may be the element in life that is taken most for granted.
It just seems to be there when we want it.
Imagine a world with no light. No sun… no moon… utter darkness.
That may help us to appreciate what Jesus speaks to us today.
As we continue in our ongoing series of Encountering Jesus through the Gospel of Luke… we encounter Jesus having just delivered a man who was bound mute by evil spirits… the man begins speaking… and we pick up in what is designated as the 11th chapter and 27th verse.
You can follow along with the text…and then we can agree in prayer for God to speak to us.
Luke 11:27-36 (NCV)
27 As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out to Jesus, “Blessed is the mother who gave birth to you and nursed you.”
28 But Jesus said, “No, blessed are those who hear the teaching of God and obey it.”
29 As the crowd grew larger, Jesus said, “The people who live today are evil. They want to see a miracle for a sign, but no sign will be given them, except the sign of Jonah. 30 As Jonah was a sign for those people who lived in Nineveh, the Son of Man will be a sign for the people of this time. 31 On the Judgment Day the Queen of the South will stand up with the people who live now. She will show they are guilty, because she came from far away to listen to Solomon’s wise teaching. And I tell you that someone greater than Solomon is here. 32 On the Judgment Day the people of Nineveh will stand up with the people who live now, and they will show that you are guilty. When Jonah preached to them, they were sorry and changed their lives. And I tell you that someone greater than Jonah is here.
33 “No one lights a lamp and puts it in a secret place or under a bowl, but on a lampstand so the people who come in can see. 34 Your eye is a light for the body. When your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But when your eyes are evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. 35 So be careful not to let the light in you become darkness. 36 If your whole body is full of light, and none of it is dark, then you will shine bright, as when a lamp shines on you.”
Prayer: God …May these words …as your words…speak to us. May you speak to us…and enlighten our hearts. Amen
(Texts below…which are the sections of entire text… on screen to allow following what is being referred to…but only portion were re-read.)
Luke 11:27-28 (NCV)
27 As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out to Jesus, “Blessed is the mother who gave birth to you and nursed you.”
28 But Jesus said, “No, blessed are those who hear the teaching of God and obey it.”
As Jesus spoke… a women speaks out a word that is not hard to imagine. This woman in the crowd is blown away with who Jesus is, and she shouts out a blessing to what she assumes must be a very special mother.
To Jesus… there is something within those words that needs to be addressed.
A mother deserves her honor. But the more ultimate blessing comes not with mere association… but with alignment… with responsiveness.
Some may recall another account in the Gospels in which Jesus is teaching in a crowded…packed home…and someone tells Jesus that his mother and brothers are standing outside waiting to talk to him. Jesus replies, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” He points to the disciples and says, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” (Matthew 12:48-50) [1]
This is not a call to lack honor for one’s mother… or to lack care for one’s mother. Jesus honored and cared for his own mother.
What he is confronting is the sentimental religious nature that gives the appearance of praise…but is really just placating.
Jesus saw many who come as fans… more than as followers.
A fan is defined as an enthusiastic admirer.
A fan can cheer the team…but he never joins the game.
He can wear the T-shirt and have thorough knowledge of the game and the players involved. He can feel like he is part of the game but never actually joins the team.
In fact…one of the symptoms of a being a fan is that you think you are a follower.
A fans commitment is more about cheering than changing. More about applauding than aligning.
Jesus must confront what is actually in the heart of the people.
Luke 11:29-30 (NCV)
29 As the crowd grew larger, Jesus said, “The people who live today are evil. They want to see a miracle for a sign, but no sign will be given them, except the sign of Jonah. 30 As Jonah was a sign for those people who lived in Nineveh, the Son of Man will be a sign for the people of this time.
Jesus goes to the heart of the issue. The generation at hand have shown their hearts to be evil.
They declare their identity as God’s chosen people… but God has now come among them… to save them…and the leaders and most who follow them…resist him.
They were not showing hearts of receptivity…but of resistance.
They have been demanding “a sign from heaven” (verses 16, 29–32).
By asking for more signs they were essentially making excuses… saying our lack of belief and response is your fault.
When one considers all that Jesus had been doing…and just done… it becomes so clear… that they weren’t looking for a reason to believe, they were looking for a reason NOT to believe.
The Father had sent his Son into the world to be its Light, but these people are turning away from the very essence of God.
Now he calls them out… reveals the nature of their hearts.
And he draws upon a powerful testimony… first that of Jonah.
For those less familiar, let me explain just how revealing this example is…
Jonah was one of the ancient prophets who was called to go to the people of Nineveh
The ancient city of Nineveh has been discovered adjoining the current city of Mosul in Iraq, that had recently come under ISIS control. It was a pagan city at the time…and God had called a prophet by the name of Jonah to go and call them to repent or face judgment. But these people had become so barbaric… killing their own children let alone enemies…in horrific ways. Still God in his mercy sought to bring a warning… but Jonah tries to run off in another direction… instead of going to Nineveh, Jonah boarded a ship heading in the opposite direction, and tried to run away from God.
God responded to Jonah’s disobedience by sending a storm on the ship, Jonah was tossed overboard, and he was swallowed by a giant fish.
Jonah was in the belly of that fish for three days before he repented and the fish vomited him out on the beach.
People don’t usually become consumed by a huge creature of the sea and live.
And with such a sign… Jonah went to the people and they repented… they received God’s grace of repentance.
Jesus is contrasting the people of Nineveh with the people of His generation. The people of Nineveh repented. The people of His generation don't and didn't.
They dare to say they just need more…. But here is the truth.
The people of Nineveh knew nothing. The people of His generation knew so much more…they had been taught the word of the prophets ….every Sabbath Day they came in the synagogue and they heard the Word of God read and explained and they sang the psalms together … but before the presence of God now before them… they are not responding.
This speaks to the heart of the generation that stands before Jesus.
But before unpacking that… let’s note that Jesus raises another testimony.
Continues with a parallel…
Luke 11:31-32 (NCV)
31 On the Judgment Day the Queen of the South will stand up with the people who live now. She will show they are guilty, because she came from far away to listen to Solomon’s wise teaching. And I tell you that someone greater than Solomon is here. 32 On the Judgment Day the people of Nineveh will stand up with the people who live now, and they will show that you are guilty. When Jonah preached to them, they were sorry and changed their lives. And I tell you that someone greater than Jonah is here.
Who is this Queen of the South?
He’s not referring to the recent TV series on the USA network…but rather an actual queen….whose story was well known to the people of Israel. She is also referred to as the Queen of Sheba… and believed to refer to an area of modern day Yemen in Arabia or Ethiopia in northern Africa. Either way… this queen… of great education and wealth… traveled from far away…because she heard of the unusual wisdom of Solomon the King of Israel …given by his God…and she traveled far from her own land and kingdom with a caravan and gifts…to engage this wisdom. (c. 965-931 BCE) [2]
When she met Solomon, she was blown away. She saw Solomon as the display of God’s justice, love, mercy, and righteousness in the world and she was amazed. This pagan queen praised God because of Solomon. with his great wisdom.
Jesus is saying is this — when she heard of Solomon there was something in her that resonated, she recognized the wisdom that he had to offer, and she longed for that wisdom enough to travel with caravans and gifts from afar… just to seek such wisdom.
Now the very Word of God has come to you…and you show how little you desire it.
These two examples…testify against the people in two common ways.
First… both speak of those who were considered outsiders. They were both Gentiles. Even though God had revealed so much to the chosen people of Israel… these who knew so little were the one’s who were responsive.
The response of outsiders speaks to the nature of heart of those who have been privileged to know more.
I have seen this played out so many times in my life… in my youth… some kid who may have seemed more resistant and rebellious… comes to a moment of realization… of the power of grace…and the grace of repentance….and their life is reset…..while those who have grown up with the knowledge of Christ…may be simply living out some form of outward identity.
There are those that grasp their need and received Jesus with all the desperation and devotion fitting such grace….while some are still trying to just maintain enough outward appearance to satisfy their parents and peers…. not realizing that they are far less welcoming of the light of Jesus.
Christianity can become a religious identity… as a label we wear. But relationship with Christ is a light that we welcome to enter the darkness of our hearts.
Isn't it ironic that so often those who know so little often turn and welcome Christ with deep devotion, while those who know so much remain indifferent and half-hearted towards Jesus.
It’s a warning for us all.
Jesus is not a form of religious identity. He is the light of the world.
Jesus brings this point home with a second truth…
What is at hand is greater than what the world has ever known.
“Someone greater than Jonah is here.” Jonah was kept in the belly of a massive whale like fish for three days… as a sign… how much more that Jesus would be raised from the belly of the earth after three days.
“Someone greater than Solomon is here.” Solomon was a man of wisdom… Jesus is the very Word of God.
Hebrews 1:3 (NIV) ?The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. ??They were a light to the people … but Jesus is THE light.
John 8:12 (NIV) ?When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." ?
Jesus stands as the very light of God… and he continues and concludes….
Luke 11:33-36 (NCV)
33 “No one lights a lamp and puts it in a secret place or under a bowl, but on a lampstand so the people who come in can see. 34 Your eye is a light for the body. When your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But when your eyes are evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. 35 So be careful not to let the light in you become darkness. 36 If your whole body is full of light, and none of it is dark, then you will shine bright, as when a lamp shines on you.”
Jesus continues his challenge by speaking about our relationship to his light. [3]
They did not have electricity. Their only source of light was the lamp which burned oil. It was the guiding light that made anything possible. You’d never light a lamp just to then cover it with a bowl.
And that is what we can do with the way we receive the light. He identifies that which regulates the receptivity to light…which is what the human eye represents. [4]
The human heart is like the human eye… it affects what is received.
The eyes of our heart refers to the openness of our hearts… our wills.
We may like to think that we are purely rational creatures… that we are like machines which simply respond to the facts. But we are creatures with will and wants. We are not merely relating to what is true… but to what we want… and that can include the protection of facing our finiteness…our frailty…our fragile egos.
We think the only relevant question is: Do we believe in God? That will itself deceive believer and unbeliever alike.
We do well to ask another question. Do we truly and deeply want the truth of God… even if it fully confronts and exposes us?
That question reveals that…
The truth that we actually “accept” is not merely derived by the rational mind…but by the human heart and will.
When our eyes are good… they receive the fullness of the light we are given. But when they are bad…they begin to limit that light….to obstruct that light.
When a person’s eyes are in good condition, the entire body “will be illumined,” will know exactly what to do. The foot will know where to step. The hand will realize how to take hold, etc. The opposite is true when, through some illness, a person’s eyes do not function properly. Such a person will be groping in the dark. Those bodily organs over which he would normally exercise conscious control will now refuse to function properly. They are “in the dark” as to what to do.
So also when a person’s inner disposition is right…the light of Christ will illuminate our lives… and we will experience peace and goodness.
Verse 35 – “So be careful not to let the light in you become darkness.”
Here Jesus changes speaking to the plural group as a whole…and uses the single tense… speaking to each person individually.
He was calling each of them to look into their own hearts. …and in an extended way…each of us…to consider our receptivity.
We might ask: Why would anyone willfully stay in darkness?
As Jesus said so clearly…
John 3:19-20 (NIV) ?This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.
Exposed.
That one word captures what may be our greatest challenge and choice in life.
There is something that wants to hide. The Scriptures call it sin…it is anything and everything that wants to avoid God’s light.
The hard but simple truth is that we are always either HIDING or WELCOMING the light.
The very light we need…we will also fear… because it involves facing that which we try to hide.
But Christ has come not to condemn us… he has come to bring forgiveness and salvation and change.
One day everything will be exposed.
But he has come now to bring the grace of his light to change us.
Perfect love casts out fear.
God is good… perfect in goodness.
His light bears the exposure…but serves only our good.
His desire is clear.
In the final statement he speaks of the opportunity at hand.
36 If your whole body is full of light, and none of it is dark, then you will shine bright, as when a lamp shines on you.”
He wants to illuminate our ENTIRE lives.
The power of his light in our lives is not limited by his light….but how receptive we are. [5]
I want to invite us to welcome Christ as the light of life.
Such openness begins with God…and His grace. Then it is worked out with friends with grace. But it begins with Him….who sees all.
Welcoming Christ … the Light of Life… to search our hearts
Some… you may sense that your life has really be one of darkness….and choose to receive Christ. To accept that he offers the end of the need to hide in fear… as he has born the shame…the separation… and his light comes in love.
For all…let us ask Christ …the light of the world… to come fill you.
Consider…
What have you tended to hide.
What have you not had peace about.
What have you realized is not good…but feared living without.
Closing Song: Give Us Clean Hands - Charlie Hall
Resources: Dr. J. Ligon Duncan III (“How Are Your Eyes?”)
Notes:
1. Later in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus will speak in hyperbole exaggeration to state even more strongly: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:26)
2. The queen is first mentioned in I Kings 10:1-13 and in II Chronicles 9:1-12 in the Bible, then in the later Aramaic Targum Sheni, then the Quran, and finally the Ethiopian work known as the Kebra Negast.
3. “The resemblance between Luke 11:33 and 8:16 (see also Matt. 5:15; Mark 4:21) is apparent at once. But this should present no problem. Why should it be wrong for a speaker to use the same, or a similar, saying on more than one occasion? In the case of Luke 11:33 and its parallel in Matthew contextual study even shows that the two passages do not have the same purpose. In the Matthew context the meaning is, “Be witnesses.” Here in Luke the basic sense is rather, “Permit the light to shine into your own hearts. Do not obstruct it.” It is true that the broader purpose—to allow the light to illumine others—is also present. However, as the sequel clearly shows, that is not here the main thought.” Hendriksen, W., & Kistemaker, S. J. (1953–2001). Exposition of the Gospel According to Luke (Vol. 11, pp. 630–633). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.
4. John Piper expounds, “Seeing they do not see,” Jesus said (Matthew 13:13). Something more than the use of the natural eyes and ears and brains must happen. The way the apostle Paul puts it is that you must have “the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know” (Ephesians 1:18). This too is strange — the heart has eyes! But perhaps not beyond comprehension. Pascal said, “The heart has its reasons, which reason does not know. We feel it in a thousand things” (Pensées). There is a spiritual seeing through and beyond natural seeing. There is a spiritual hearing through and beyond natural hearing. There is spiritual discerning through and beyond natural reasoning.
Most people are at home speaking of “the heart” as something more than the blood-pumping organ in our chest. Such language is not foreign to us. This “heart” is the real us. Intuitively we know that there is more to us than flesh and bones. We know we are not mere chemicals in a sack of skin. We would not talk the way we do about things like justice and love if we didn’t believe that.
If we are on the right track, the only hope for seeing the glory of God in Scripture is that God might cut away the diamond-hard, idolatrous substitutes for the glory of God that are packed into the template of our heart.
The Bible speaks of this supernatural act in many ways. For example, it describes this supernatural inbreaking as a shining into our hearts of divine glory (2 Corinthians 4:6), and as a granting of truth and repentance (2 Timothy 2:25), and as the giving of faith (Philippians 1:29), and as raising us from the dead (Ephesians 2:5–6), and as new birth by the word (1 Peter 1:23; James 1:18), and as the special revelation of the Father (Matthew 16:17) and the Son (Matthew 11:27), and as the enlightening of the eyes of the heart (Ephesians 1:18), and as being given the secret of the kingdom of God (Luke 8:10).
When this miracle happens to us, the glory of God cuts and burns and melts and removes from the template the suicidal cement of alien loves and takes its rightful place. How God Opens the Eyes of the Heart by John Piper - https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/how-god-opens-the-eyes-of-the-heart
5. We also read…
Luke 1:79 - He came “to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace” -
Ephesians 1:18 (CEV) - My prayer is that light will flood your hearts and that you will understand the hope that was given to you when God chose you. Then you will discover the glorious blessings that will be yours together with all of God's people.
Ephesians 5:13-14 (GW) - Light exposes the true character of everything 14 because light makes everything easy to see. That's why it says: “Wake up, sleeper! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
1 John 1:5b - “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all”
