In Mary, we see how the parable of the lamp is completely fulfilled.
The Parable of the Lamp is found in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke (Matthew 5:14-16, Mark 4:21-23 and Luke 8:16-18, 11:33-36). Do read these passages before the article that follows!
The parable is connected with Jesus’ initial teaching and the call to the disciples to transmit that teaching to others. Mark and Luke situate the parable immediately following the parable of the Sower, while Matthew locates it within the Sermon on the Mount rather than the discourse on the parables.
By placing the parable of the lamp after the parable of the Sower, Mark and Luke are clearly interpreting it as the consequence of hearing the word of God fruitfully. If the word of God has been received in such a way as to bear fruit – sixty, eighty, even a hundredfold, then it is so that the disciple can be a light for others. It is a remarkable thought that once a person has received the light of revelation, has heard and welcomed the word of God into his or her life, then he or she becomes a sort of secondary source of light, of revelation.
This article is from The Sower and may be copied for catechetical purposes only. It may not be reprinted in another published work without the permission of Maryvale Institute. Contact [email protected]