“Whoever has will be given more”

Read Luke 8:16-18

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In both Luke and Mark, the parable of the sower is followed by this parable of a lamp on a stand (Mk.4:21-25). Matthew omits it, perhaps because it is similar to the teaching he’s already included in the Sermon on the Mount (Mt.5:14-15). There it’s an illustration that disciples who have received God’s light must let it shine for others to see, but here Jesus makes a different application.

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Just as no one would light a lamp and then hide its light, so God would not deliberately obscure the truth, for he wants it to be revealed to people and accepted by them. This follows on from the puzzling teaching about why Jesus taught in parables (Lk.8:9-10; Mk.4:10-12) i.e. what he says there is a description of their effect rather than a statement of their purpose.

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So the key thing is to be willing to receive the revelation that God gives us through Jesus: “He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (Mk.4:9,23). And the more that we accept and understand his words then the more the light of God will be revealed to us. Those with closed hearts will be able to receive nothing, but those whose hearts are open will be able to keep on receiving more and more of God’s truth (18; Lk.6:38b; Lk.19:26).