Luke 8:16

Luke 8:16-18 . No man, when he hath lighted a candle, &c. — See on Matthew 5:15 ; and Mark 4:21 . Nothing is secret, &c. — See on Matthew 10:26 . Take heed, therefore, how ye hear. In Mark 4:24 , it is, Take heed what you hear. As it is the indispensable duty of all ministers of the Word to take heed what they preach, 1st, That their doctrine be true, that they may not deceive their hearers. 2d, That it be important, that they may not trifle with them: and, 3d, That it be suitable to their state and character; that they rightly divide the word of truth, and give to every description of hearers their portion of meat in due season; so it concerns all hearers to take heed what they hear. They must not take it for granted that what they hear is true, important, and suited to their state and character: but must bring it to the test of the Holy Scriptures, and examine it thereby; and for that purpose, must endeavour to make themselves well acquainted with the Scriptures: and if they find that, according to the divine oracles, the doctrine which they hear answers the above description, they must so take heed what they hear, as to attend to, and consider it well, that they may thoroughly understand and lay it to heart, and that it may have its designed effect upon their spirit and conduct.

But, according to Luke here, our Lord’s caution, inferred from the preceding parable, implied another thing equally important, Take heed how ye hear — 1st, That you do not hear so inattentively, and in such a prayerless state of mind, as not to understand, nor afterward meditate on what your hear, and so receive the seed as by the way-side. See on Matthew 13:19 . 2d, That having heard, and understood in a measure what you heard, and being affected thereby, you do not rest in any ineffectual and transient impressions made on your mind, and therefore be offended and fall away in time of trial and temptation; but that the truth may take deep root in your mind, and that you may have root in yourself. See on Matthew 13:20-21 . Take heed, 3d, That you guard against the cares of the world, the love of deceitful riches, the vain pleasures of life, and desires after other things; those pernicious weeds, which in so many choke the springing blade, or forming ear, so that no fruit is brought forth to perfection. See on Matthew 13:22 .

Luke 8:16-18 . See on Mark 4:21-25 ; Matthew 5:15 ; Matthew 10:26 ; Matthew 13:12 . The connection in Luke is substantially the same as in Mark: But if by such explanations as I have now given upon your question ( Luke 8:9 ) I kindle a light for you, you must also let the same shine further, etc. (see on Mark 4:21 ), and thence follows your obligation ( βλέπετε οὖν , Luke 8:18 ) to listen aright to my teaching. On the repeated occurrence of this saying the remark of Euthymius Zigabenus is sufficient: εἰκὸς δὲ , κατὰ διαφόρους καιροὺς τὰ τοιαῦτα τὸν Χριστὸν εἰπεῖν . Luke 8:17 . καὶ εἰς φαν . ἔλθῃ ] a change in the idea. By the future γνωσθήσεται that which is to come is simply asserted as coming to pass; but by the subjunctive ( ἔλθῃ ) it is in such a way asserted that it leads one to expect it out of the present, and that without ἄν , because it is not conceived of as dependent on a conditioning circumstance (Klotz, ad Devar . p. 158 f.): There is nothing hidden which shall not be known and is not bound to come to publicity . Comp. on the latter clause, Plato, Gorgias , p. 480 C: εἰς τὸ φανερὸν ἄγειν τὸ ἀδίκημα ; Thucyd. i. 6. 3, 23. 5. Luke 8:18 . πῶς ] χρὴ γὰρ σπουδαίως κ . ἐπιμελῶς … ἀκροᾶσθαι , Euthymius Zigabenus. ὃς γὰρ ἄν ἔχῃ κ . τ . λ .] a ground of encouragement.

The meaning of the proverbial sayings in this connection is as in Mark 4:25 , not as in Matthew 13:12 . ὃ δοκεῖ ἔχειν ] even what he fancies he possesses : it is not the liability to loss , but the self-delusion about possession, the fanciful presumption of possession, that is expressed; the μὴ ἔχειν , in fact, occurs when the knowledge has not actually been made a man’s own; a man believes he has it, and the slight insight which he regards as its possession is again lost. It is not reproach against the apostles (Baur, Hilgenfeld), but warning that is conveyed in the form of a general principle. In Luke 19:26 the expression with δοκεῖ would have been inappropriate. But even here the mere ὃ ἔχει , as in Mark 4:25 , would have been not only allowable, but even more significant. The δοκεῖ κ . τ . λ . already shows the influence of later reflection.

Luke 8:16-18 . Those who have light must let it shine ( Matthew 5:15 ; Matthew 10:26 , Mark 4:21-25 ). Lk. here seems to follow Mk., who brings in at the same point the parable of the lamp, setting forth the duty of those who are initiated into the mysteries of the kingdom to diffuse their light. A most important complement to the doctrine set forth in Luke 8:10 , that parables were meant to veil the mysteries of the kingdom.

Luke 8:16 . Τὸ φῶς ) the light , not the candlestick [or lamp which holds the light, λύχνον ]. Man’s nature no more has light of itself [derived from itself], than the material of the candlestick has it. For this light is added from without, that is, by Divine agency, through the word. Therefore the candlestick does not seek to be beheld, as far as itself is concerned, but serves that the light may be beheld: and the good hearer, like the candlestick, always hears in such a way as that he may be of use to as many as possible by his shining: and he himself, in turn, day by day increases in the brightness of his shining.

(16) No man, when he hath lighted a candle. —Better, a lamp; and for “a candlestick,” the lampstand. See Notes on Matthew 5:15 ; Mark 4:21 . In St. Matthew the proverb comes into the Sermon on the Mount; in St. Mark it occupies a position analogous to that in which it stands here, and this agreement favours the view that it was actually spoken in connection with the interpretation of the parable, as a special application of what had before been stated generally. Note St. Luke’s more general term, “a vessel,” instead of “the bushel,” as in St. Matthew and St. Mark, and the somewhat wider range of the lamp’s illumining power, not only to those who are “in the house,” but to those also who are in the act of “entering” into it. We may, perhaps, venture to connect the choice of the latter phrase with St. Luke’s personal experience as a convert from heathenism. As such, he had been among those that entered into the house; and as he did so, he had seen the light of the lamp which the Apostles of Christ had lighted.

Verses 16-18. - A solemn conclusion of the Lord's to his exposition of his first great parable. Verse 16. - No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light . The meaning of the Lord's saying here is - the disciples must not look on this parable-method of teaching, which from henceforth he purposed frequently to adopt, as mysterious, or as containing anything beyond ordinary human comprehension. The explanation of "the sower," which he had just given them, showed them how really simple and adapted to everyday life his teaching was. "No man," said the Lord, "when he hath lighted the candle of the true knowledge, really wishes to hide it - he rather displays it that men may see the light; and that is what I have been doing for you in my careful explanation of my story." Luke 8:16