If you were the keeper of a lonely lighthouse that sat on the rocks of a treacherous seashore, what would happen to the ships if you turned the light off?
The Sambro Island Light is a lighthouse located at the mouth of Halifax Harbor, Nova Scotia. It is located on an island near the community of Sambro.
It is surrounded by rocks and shoals (shallow water and sandbars) that has made it difficult through the years for ships to navigate into the harbor.
Through the years there were many shipwrecks, the worst being the sinking of the liner SS Daniel Steinmann in 1884. Sadly, there were only nine people to survive of the 130 aboard.
Digging Deeper: Luke 8:16-18
Key Verse: “No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light.” Luke 8:16
I don’t know if the light on a lighthouse ever went out. What I do know is that lighthouses were built to prevent ships from crashing into the rocks along the shore.
The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse protects the most dangerous section of coastline along the Atlantic Ocean. In the early years after it’s construction, it was ineffective in warning ships of the dangerous Diamond Shoals.
- Its unpainted sandstone blended in with the background of the shoreline.
- Its light was not bright enough to reach mariners.
- Its tower was poorly constructed.
- It was poorly maintained.
Stories Make it Easier to Understand Truths
Jesus is a Master storyteller and He loved to tell parables. He used stories (or parables) to enlighten people so they would understand the spiritual truths He was teaching.
“No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light. (ESV) Luke 8:16
If you’ve ever visited lighthouses, you will notice how different one is from another.
They were individual.
Mariners needed to know even in fog, which part of the coast they were nearing.
The lighthouse on Hatteras Island has a different design on the outside and flashes its light in a different sequence so the mariners know to stay away from the treacherous Diamond Shoals.
Each of us are individuals just like the 600+ lighthouses in North America differ from each other.
We have a calling from God to shine our light.
The tendency is to hide our light.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. Romans 1:16
5 Reasons NOT to Hide Your Light
- Do NOT leave others in blindness. You are that light shining out of your lighthouse to the people who are around you each day. Your husband, kids, relatives, friends, and those who you meet for the first time. They might be saved and your light will bless them with your cheerfulness and encouragement to continue following the Lord and never quit. Others will be unsaved and you might be the only spirit-led Believer to shine your light into their life. When someone is blinded, their faith is hardened and they might never accept the gift of eternal life unless your light breaks through their darkness.
- By being preoccupied with the cares of life. A lighthouse keeper had many things to do to sustain his/her life on that island or rugged coastline. What if the light was never kept running during the night? What would happen if you got sidetracked with the cares of this world and never got your light turned on for the day. Just as ships could smash into the rocks and many people would be lost, many people can be eternally lost if you (I am writing to myself too) do not prepare yourself each day and get your light flashing.
- Do NOT hide your light under a jar. What happens when you light a candle and put a mason jar over it? Without oxygen providing the fuel for the flame, the candle goes out. What if you are afraid to shine your light? The lamp in this parable isn’t really a lamp. It is you (or me) and is all about not being fearful about sharing Jesus with those in our life.
- Do NOT blend into your surroundings. Remember the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse? Its sandstone exterior blended into its surroundings so it couldn’t be seen. A lighthouse needs to be seen even in the daytime. That is why they are painted with stripes, diamonds, and other patterns to make them obvious. When you do everything that a non-believer does, and you do not stand out for Christ, you blend right in and will not reflect Jesus. The light on a lighthouse is inside this glass dome with refracting mirrors to reflect and make it project a long distance to be seen by the ships.
- Do NOT be too busy. Are you so busy for others? It is so important to reach out to those around you. In general, we have hidden our faith and put it under a bed instead of up on a stand. When a lighthouse was built too short, it couldn’t be seen and the results were disastrous. We can be too busy for God and then we don’t end up sharing Christ with others. The result is disastrous more than those lost in a shipwreck. They are lost eternally!
Jesus had a purpose in teaching us not to hide our light. He wanted to reveal the whole Gospel, and not to conceal it.
He wants us to also reveal the Gospel to those we meet.
Do you have an honest and good heart?
When you respond to Christ by faithfully hearing and obeying Christ, His Words will be given to you so that you can boldly share them with others.
You don’t want to be that person whose light has been shut off (or never came on).
Nor like a Pharisee glorifying the law of God (rules, so-called ‘standards’ that miss the heart) because they will have what they ‘think’ they have (the Word of God) taken away from them (Luke 8:18).
Keep your light shining like a lighthouse on a hill where all can see you!!
What are the cares of your life that are keeping you too busy to shine your light?