Jesus said: “No one after lighting a lamp hides it under a jar, or puts it under a bed. They put it on a lampstand, so that those who enter may see the light.”
Luke 8:16
Notes for Contemplation as You Use this Devotional:
- In this passage usually titled “The Lesson of the Lamp,” from the Gospel Writer Called Luke, Jesus states something seemingly obvious to prove a major point: Lamps are lit to shine their light, not to be hidden. Furthermore, he asserts that this outer light represents the light within everyone.
- Jesus is a mystic, master teacher, healer, and wayshower for multitudes because he is a fully embodied, grounded spirit radiating his absolute divinity. Everything he does is God-guided and God-directed. He knows his oneness with God (Higher Power, Supreme Being, etc.) and emphasizes God’s ever-abiding grace, infinite compassion, and unconditional love for all people.
- Furthermore, Jesus shines his own inner light, his divinity, before others. He doesn’t block, steal, douse, or diminish anyone else’s light to make himself feel or look better. Throughout his teachings, he emphasizes others’ divinity and how they can live whole, healthy lives, despite their challenges.
- Nevertheless, in many religious practices, divine light is rarely mentioned unless it comes from Jesus or another divine master. General human nature is seen as impure and defective. Thus, emphasis is often placed on brokenness which presumes that:
- God is capricious, condemning, and judgmental.
- Life is full of suffering and hardship.
- Typical human behavior is rebellious and sinful.
- Something must be “wrong” with us so we can receive grace.
- Yet, when your consciousness (mindset) recognizes divine light, it also recognizes wholeness, the quality of being a fully embodied spirit, aligned with God as the source, supply, and sustenance of all. This means you recognize the truth of you as divine, created in the image and likeness of God. So, you know you aren’t broken, but filled with divine inner light.
- Demonstration is your evidence of how well your life works. You demonstrate your wholeness first, by reflecting on your own radiance. Then you can be a light for others, so they, too, can rejoice in their own divinity. Like the numerous types of lighting in the world—lamps, candles, flashlights, etc.—you, too, can shine. But if you affirm, in any way, that you’re broken, then you’re denying your own radiance.
Contemplation Questions:
As you reflect on your life and circumstances, ask yourself:
- In what, if any ways, have I denied my inner light (divinity)?
- List, word map, or illustrate whatever ways apply.
- What have I believed is “broken” (not divine) about me?
- List, word map, or illustrate whatever you think applies.
- What are at least three (3) ways I can recognize my light?
- List, word map, or illustrate all you imagine.
- What are at least three (3) ways I can be a light for others?
- List, word map, or illustrate all you imagine.
As you use this devotional, know that you’re a divine spiritual being with a radiant soul, living in a sacred body temple, having human experiences. Only affirm for yourself what you wish to be true, because your subconscious mind doesn’t know the difference; it only knows what it’s told. Whatever you affirm, whether brokenness or wholeness, you subconscious mind believes what you tell it.
Remember that we can make mistakes while we’re having human experiences. Of course, you may notice flaws and imperfections. Avoid magnifying them. Embrace your inner light as you learn and grow. Have faith in yourself. Trust your intuition. Then, let your light shine!
© 2024 – Rev. Jennifer L. Sacks – All rights reserved.
Photo from Shutterstock by Sameer Neamah Mahdi.
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