That They Who Journey In Might See the Light

A Sermon on Luke 8

by Jeff Vander Meer

Imagine with me for a moment, if you would, a rookie farm hand driving up to a field of golden wheat, ready for the harvest. The heads are full and dry – the wheat is ready to be harvested. The farm hand’s gut starts to churn as he sees the acres of wheat before him. The closer he gets, the more nervous he becomes. He looks out his front window and sees the back of the combine the experienced farmer is driving, a $300,000 harvester that he is going to climb into in a few minutes for the first time. Questions are racing through his head. How do I run this thing? Will I be any good at it? How do I know the hopper is full? Will I be able to dump into the wagon – on the fly? What if I mess up?

The combine pulls off the road and into the field. The new farm hand follows, jumps out of the truck, runs over to the combine and waits for his instruction. The farmer climbs out of the combine, looks the young, nervous farm hand right in the eye and says – “ Peter, I have told you what it takes to be a good farmer. You need character. You need to listen carefully to people who know what is going on. You need to fully understand the weather, the markets and everything there is about farming. And you need to persevere, even when times get rough. Now go to it – time’s a-wastin.”

The farmer then jumps into the truck and heads down the road, leaving Peter with a stomach that is now doing summersaults. Peter watches the farmer leave, and then turns to the monstrous machine standing idly in front of him. He looks back at the field – Character, understanding, perseverance? I need to know how where the key is! How do I start this beast? That would be helpful to know. Peter turns back to the road, and as the dust from the truck is just beginning to settle he looks up to heaven and says “What was he thinking?”

What was he thinking? Jesus had just finished giving his disciples a personal look into what a true follower of Jesus would look like. Jesus went to great lengths to describe the four soils – the four possible responses to his teaching, to God’s word. Jesus ends with the soil of choice – the kingdom tri-mix soil one might call it. Jesus finishes up by detailing the three key ingredients that his followers - the kingdom tri-mix soil – must posses. Character, understanding or wisdom, and perseverance. Jesus has taken great pains to explain what the kingdom tri-mix soil should look like: having a good and noble heart (being a person of character); hearing and retaining the word (listening and understanding, gaining wisdom); and persevering (working hard, even when times get tough). Three great theoretical thoughts that due truly encompass the entirety of life – but not real tangible. Jesus followers were certainly leaning forward at this point, eagerly anticipating Jesus next words – the words in which he would move from the theoretical to the practical; the words that would make that sermon on the mountain he had just preached crystal clear and personalized for them; the clear and concise instruction on just how a follower of Jesus should foster character, wisdom, and perseverance.

Jesus pauses, and his disciples lean forward in eager anticipation for the real practical stuff – enough of this theologizing – just give us the meat. Jesus takes a few moments (pause) gathers his thoughts (pause) and opens his mouth and gives this practical instruction: “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 journey in can see the light.” (Luke 8:16) Jesus has just explained what the kingdom tri-mix consists of, what its guts are, what the ingredients are – and then he seems to totally drop the ball when it comes explaining how thick to put the soil on, when to lay the soil down, how much water to give the new plants. Jesus instead just talks about lamps and pots and bowls. One wonders, as Jesus finishes up by saying – “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.” – if the disciples didn’t look up to heaven and say “What was this guy thinking? Where are the instructions? Where are the rules? What are the disciples, and also us, supposed to do with this? Be a lamp? What does that mean, anyway?”

Jesus challenges any would-be disciples, any kingdom tri-mix soil, to be a lamp, to be a light for anyone who might journey in. Jesus gives the ingredients list on how to be kingdom soil. Then the lamp challenge. Then he states “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.” (Luke 18:21) The disciples must have been looking at each other, going, “Where did that come from.” One could almost expect Peter, the usual spokesman for the group to stand up and say – Uh, Jesus…um you gave us the list of ingredients. You said that those of us who use those ingredients are your brothers, sisters and mothers – but Jesus – you forgot to give the recipe! The simple fact is that Jesus simply tells his disciples to be the kingdom tri-mix and then gives them no instruction on how to put that into practice, except this – be a lamp. The only recipe given is the challenge to be a light.

So what is Jesus saying to any would be followers of his? Both 2000 years ago and today? I mean, the image used in the parable is simple enough to understand – lamps are not meant to be hidden but put on a lamp stand. The parable’s placement and application to the lives of the follower of Jesus is not nearly as obvious. Did Jesus just have an ADD moment here and slip in another parable just for fun?

No. This parable is not the result of an ADD moment. Jesus’ teaching, being a disciple, the harvest, the kingdom of God all hinge on the followers of Jesus being a light. There is no manual given for how we should live. There is no theologizing about how God is in control of all things. There are no rules given for how we are to live, just a call to be a light, so that the one who journeys in might see that light. Just light the entire house so that people can see. A disciple of Jesus is called to be a light, so that people can see the light. Period. We are called to be lights – to be bright lights so that we light up the entire house. We know the ingredients, but no recipe is given – we are simply to be lamps for Jesus.

Well, I don’t know about you, but I don’t find this instruction all that clear. It seems that Jesus, just like me, is mixing his metaphors here. Doesn’t it seem odd that Jesus doesn’t give any instruction? I, for one, would like some more guidance on exactly how one might shine brightly. Well, Jesus picks up the image of being lights again in Luke, and this time Jesus does give some very clear guidance; only this time, Jesus gives some clear guidance about what the light does not look like.

Jesus uses the exact same phrase “in order that the ones who journey in might see the light” in Luke 11:33 – Jesus ends the conversation that starts in Luke 8 with his disciples and broadens the challenge to the crowds. Jesus challenges all who hear to be people who exude lightness. When Jesus finishes talking, a member of the crowd, a Pharisee, invites Jesus to dinner. Jesus does not wash his hands before eating, a traditional rule that the Pharisees had placed upon the people. The Pharisee takes the bait and calls Jesus on it. Jesus then pulls out the six gun and fires out six woes against the religious elite of the day. The Pharisees take the first three woes from Jesus, and when the experts in the law claim their innocence, Jesus just keeps right on firing. By the time it is all said and done, we are given a very clear picture of what being a light does not look like. The ones who were supposed to be the followers of God are the ones who are not shining. The religious elite of the day, the ones who knew the truth about God, well, Jesus in essence calls them kingdom clay.

If the followers of Jesus were to be the kingdom tri-mix, the religious elite of the day could be called kingdom clay - ground that is so hard that nothing will grow. It is here, when one compares the kingdom tri-mix and its three virtues with the kingdom clay and its three woes that we gain a clear picture of what being a light doesn’t look like. In comparing the two, Jesus gives a clear picture of what he doesn’t want us to look like, and in so doing, gives us also a picture of what being a light truly could look like. You might remember that the first ingredient of the kingdom tri-mix soil is that of a good and noble heart – a person of character. Listen to the first ingredient of the kingdom clay (Luke 11:46): “And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.” What kind of people make up the clay: people that load down others with burdens that they can hardly carry, and then don’t lift a finger to help. We, the followers of Jesus, have been given the truth about Jesus. If we claim Jesus for our salvation, then we are a follower of Jesus, and Jesus challenges us today: what are we doing with this truth? Are we people who are encourage those who journey into our lives? Are we people who make it easier for people to find out the truth about Jesus. Are we laying heavy burdens on people? Are we making it easier for people to find Jesus? Do our churches welcome people, or turn them away?

Jesus doesn’t describe what a person with a good and noble heart looks like – but he does a great job of describing what this person is not. A person with a good and noble heart is not a person who puts loads on people they cannot bear, and then refuses to lift a finger to help. And this challenge starts with me as the pastor. Do I burden people with loads they can’t bear, and then withhold help? (If any of you feel overly burdened by what I say or do, or feel like I don’t lift a finger to help, I ask your forgiveness right now, and please come see me so that I can make it right!) People that are lights are people of good and noble character. Will we be those lights? Will we be those ones to lift people’s loads instead of adding to them?

The second ingredient of the kingdom tri-mix soil is that of wisdom – listening and then understanding. Listen to the 2nd ingredient for the kingdom clay: “Woe to you, because you build tombs for the prophets, and it was your forefathers who killed them. So you testify that you approve of what your forefathers did; they killed the prophets, and you build their tombs. Because of this, God in his wisdom said…” (Luke 11:48-49) Then Jesus prophecies about what will happen. Jesus tells the Pharisees that God’s wisdom, that Wisdom with a capital W, has told him what would happen. You see, this tomb business for the prophets was a notable feature of Jewish life, and Jesus says that by revering the graves they are approving of what their ancestors did. They killed them and now this generation celebrates it by building tombs. Jesus flips the common understanding on its head, and what basis does he give? God’s wisdom – Wisdom with a capital W. The bright light follower of Jesus is the one who hears and retains what is heard, the one who gains this wisdom with a capital W.

One of the current trends in Christianity today is the public confession for the atrocities that were committed during the Crusades. There is simply no denying that the Crusades are a black mark on the history of the church and admitting our mistakes of the past is exactly what we should do. But if our confession is not also combined with a commitment to root out oppression and injustice in our church today, then Jesus condemns the action as lip service. I am not criticizing the action of those who would seek reconciliation for the injustices of the Crusades. I wholeheartedly endorse this action, but we must be clear that Jesus commands more than lip service. “I’m sorry” must not only be words, but a call to action and this call to action requires wisdom - God’s wisdom, not mere monuments.

The 3rd ingredient in the kingdom tri-mix is perseverance, a call to action. The 3rd ingredient for being kingdom clay comes in the 3rd woe: “Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering.” And what is this key to knowledge? Jesus brings us, the religious elite, back to the book of Proverbs, where we find that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. The key to knowledge is wisdom, God’s truth, the word of God, Jesus Christ. And what had the religious elite of the day done? They had taken this away from the people. They had not entered into the house of wisdom, the house of God, and on top of that, had hindered those who had come. Again, as in with the first two ingredients, Jesus does not describe exactly what perseverance is, but he makes it abundantly clear what it is not. Will we be people who take away the key of knowledge, or will we give people the key of knowledge? Will we enter the house of wisdom – an action statement – and invite others to join, or will we refuse, and even hinder others from entering God’s house, from seeing God’s truth, and from meeting Jesus Christ, maybe for the first time?

So what does it mean to be a light? To be a disciple? To be a pastor? All combined, a follower of Jesus? Jesus begins the conversation and gives the criteria for being the good soil – the kingdom tri-mix – and then gives only one instruction: be a light. There is no manual given. No rules are attached, not here anyway. Simply be a light, so that the ones who journey into our lives see the light. Jesus finishes the conversation on being a light by describing what being the light isn’t, and so today we must ask ourselves: Do we tend to be people who have good and noble hearts, or do we tend to burden others with unbearable loads, and then not carry anything ourselves? Do we tend to be people who seek God’s wisdom or do we tend to pay lip service to the sins of those who have gone before us and seek little change? Do we tend to persevere in our call to be a bright light by gladly handing out the truth of the saving grace of Jesus Christ – the key to knowledge – or do we tend to be the people who take away the truth about Jesus by not entering and, in so doing, hinder others. Many people will wander into our lives in our life’s journey. Will they see the light of Jesus burning bright?

We began our conversation by thinking about the farm hand – Peter I called him. Take your mind and move back to that scene where Peter is looking at the combine having no idea how to run the thing, and ask yourself: What is the one thing that farmer needs from the Peter? I mean, Peter can learn how to drive the combine. The manual is just behind the seat, and the cell phone is in the truck. He can learn everything there is to know about farming, but if he does not dive into what is going on, does not make the practice his own, does not eat, breathe and sleep being a farmer, then he will never learn how to be like the farmer. No matter how well Peter reads the manual on how to run the combine, it is only through the hours behind the wheel, learning how to run the machine that the Peter will become a master operator.

In a similar way, Jesus doesn’t give us a list of rules because we can get that elsewhere. The manual on how to live our lives is readily available (hold up the Bible). In our text for today, Jesus pleads with us for one thing. He pleads with us to take the kingdom trimix soil that has been given to us, to take the ingredients that every follower of Jesus has, and to make our own recipe and simply display it for the world to see. We have ample instruction. (hold up the Bible) We have been given the ingredients to flourish. The question and challenge that Jesus places before us today is simply this: will we be lights that are so bright that the ones who journey into our lives will see the light?

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