Hidden Things

I am amazed at how much people will tell you about themselves.

"No one after lighting a lamp hides it under a jar, or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a lamp stand, so that those who enter may see the light. For nothing is hidden that will not be disclosed, nor is anything secret that will not become known and come to light. Then pay attention to how you listen; for to those who have, more will be given; and from those who do not have, even what they seem to have will be taken away." Then his mother and his brothers came to him, but they could not reach him because of the crowd. And he was told, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you." But he said to them, "My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it." One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, "Let us go across to the other side of the lake." So they put out, and while they were sailing he fell asleep. A windstorm swept down on the lake, and the boat was filling with water, and they were in danger. They went to him and woke him up, shouting, "Master, Master, we are perishing!" And he woke up and rebuked the wind and the raging waves; they ceased, and there was a calm. He said to them, "Where is your faith?" They were afraid and amazed, and said to one another, "Who then is this, that he commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him?" - Luke 8:16-25

My grandfather used to say that if you wanted to know something about someone, just keep quiet and they will tell you.

In the age of social media, that couldn't be more true.  People will share everything about themselves with total strangers, people they don't ever meet.

Jesus begins this encounter with his disciples by telling them all that can be known about them will be revealed.  The light will eventually shine everywhere and  the truth will come out.

That could scare some people.  Anyone who has hidden something they don't want the world to know about them.  So, if there is something secret, isn't it better to get it out there?

But then Jesus gets weird.

He says something confusing, which is not surprising of itself, but the meaning can be hard to decipher.

Then pay attention to how you listen; for to those who have, more will be given; and from those who do not have, even what they seem to have will be taken away.

What is he talking about?

Pay attention to how you listen.  If he is talking about knowledge and understanding then the meaning is different than if he is talking about wealth.

We tend to hear this as a warning about wealth, but maybe it really is about how we listen, and hearing that it is about wealth is a perfect example of having that understanding slip away.

When we hear things the way we want to hear them, we fail to gain insight into any other possible view.

We confirm our own position and lose what we thought we had.

So, those of us who truly listen and try to comprehend, find the path to doing the Word, which is where the light is shining, on that path.

The hidden things are those we choose not to see or hear.

More to come...