Luke 9:33-36

The Light of the Word (9:33-36).

The Jews walk on blindly, seeking signs and coming under the condemnation of these men of old for not responding to Jesus' words, but in contrast His disciples are to become lamps revealing and receiving the light of God, and are not to be concerned with signs but only with seeking single-heartedly His light though His words. And He promises that if their eyes are single and are fixed on God then their eye will be like a lamp lit by God (Luke 9:34), and they will thus be filled with His light and themselves become lamps shining out to others (Luke 9:33 compare Revelation 1:12; Revelation 1:20; Revelation 2:1).

In the chiasmus of this Section this passage parallels that of the calling of the three unknown disciples who are called to proclaim the Kingly Rule of God (Luke 9:57). They were called to singleness of purpose. They were called to follow the Lord, and keep their eye on Him, and proclaim the Kingly Rule of God to the world. Here all disciples are called to the same. They are to be a light in the world, because they have received His light, and they are to keep themselves continually filled with His light by their eye being single, and being open to Him and His words. They are thus themselves openly to experience and manifest that light.

The emphasis here is on receiving the light of life (Luke 9:34) and thus themselves becoming a light (Luke 9:33; Matthew 5:16). They will then be openly manifested like a city that is set on a hill, and like a light shining before men (Matthew 5:15). And then the emphasis moves to the single eye, through which that light will be continually renewed by the eye being fixed on Him and His words, because He is the light of the world. If the eye is fixed on Him they will be filled with light. If their eye is fixed elsewhere they will receive only darkness. So the burning question is whether that eye will be focused to receive light or darkness. If the eye receives light by being steadfastly fixed on Jesus and His words, and on the Kingly Rule of God, then the whole life will be filled with light, and lived in light, and lived out in light, but if the eye receives only darkness because it is set elsewhere, then life will be lived in the dark (they will be like the Scribes and Pharisees described in the following verses). As Jesus puts it in John 8:12, ‘I am the light of the world, he who follows Me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.' Here He indicates that the eye is to be fixed on Himself, while at the same time saying that through it they will receive within them the light of eternal life.

This thought is prominent in the New Testament. God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5). Thus those who would have fellowship with God must come to the light. They must let it shine on their lives, revealing their sin, so that they can then come for it to be cleansed (1 John 1:7; John 3:18). And God's light has especially come into the world through Jesus (John 8:12; 2 Corinthians 4:4). As men see Him and recognise in Him the One Who is God's light, and then respond to Him, His life enters them and they receive the light of life (John 8:12). From then on they are to walk in that light (1 John 1:7) and are to let it be revealed through them (Matthew 5:16). And they are to be sure that it is constantly renewed by their eye being fixed solely on Him and His words. The result will be that they will be filled with light, and their light will shine out to others.

The connecting thought with the Lord's Prayer is that by walking in His light, and ourselves being His lights, and by following Him, we will not be brought by Him into testing, but will be delivered from Evil One. The connecting thought with the previous passage is that those whose eyes are on Him and respond to His word do not come under the condemnation of those of old, and will have no fear of the Evil One, because they walk in light whereas he rules over the tyranny of darkness, and that heeding the words of the greatest Teacher of them all is absolutely vital. The connecting thought with what follows is that the Scribes and Pharisees have their eyes fixed otherwise than on Him, and will therefore suffer the woes that come to those who are in darkness.

Analysis.

a “No man, when he has lighted a lamp, puts it in a cellar, nor under the corn measure, but on the stand, so that those who enter in may see the light” (Luke 9:33).

b “The lamp of your body is your eye. When your eye is single, your whole body also is full of light, but when it is evil, your body also is full of darkness” (Luke 9:34).

c “Look therefore whether the light that is in you is not darkness” (Luke 9:35).

b “If therefore your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it will be wholly full of light “ (Luke 9:36 a).

a “As when the lamp with its bright shining gives you light” (Luke 9:36 b).

Note that in ‘a' the lamp is to shine out to give light, and in the parallel the lamp with its bright shining gives light. In ‘b' the body is to be full of light and in the parallel is thought of as being so. Central in ‘c' is to ensure that the light that is in us is not darkness. We are not to be children of darkness.