Light It Up (Lk. 11:33-36)
Jonathan and Eleanor had just begun their ministry to the Fulani in Ghana when a woman named Shatu stopped them in a crowded market, pointing to her ear in pain. Eleanor was a doctor and she invited Shatu to visit their home. But it would be two weeks before Shatu showed up. For seven years she had suffered from severe tinnitus. Eleanor took time to examine her ear. She and Jonathan prayed for Shatu in Jesus’ name, and sent her home.
The next day, they saw her waving wildly from across the market. Through a translator they learned the ringing had completely stopped. From that moment on, Shatu started telling everyone, “Jesus has healed me!” She brought friends, children, whole groups to hear about this Jesus who restored her hearing. Well, Jonathan gave Shatu an audio Bible that she carried with her everywhere she went. In a predominantly Muslim area, you would think she would keep quiet about Jesus, but no. She had that audio Bible on full volume as she went through the village. Months went by before Jonathan and Eleanor saw her again, but once they finally did, she said, “I really want Jesus, the Messiah.”
A single prayer lit a fire. Jonathan confessed,
“Through our new sister in Christ, the Light is reaching Fulani much more swiftly than anyone could have imagined.” Hallelujah, God is so good!”[1]
Well today, that’s what I want to talk about. The Light of God that shines in the darkest of hearts to lead us into the life-changing truth of Christ.
Let it Shine (Lk. 11:33)
Grab your Bibles and go with me to Luke 11 and let’s take a look at what Jesus says in this 33rd verse.
Luke 11:33 NKJV
33 “No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light.
We’ve covered a similar passage in Luke chapter eight.
Luke 8:16–17 NKJV
16 “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.
17 For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light.
Comparatively, we are dealing with the same concern in chapter eleven that we dealt with in chapter eight—how you hear what you hear. I spoke about this in my sermon, See How You Hear. It’s really about responding appropriately to the Word of God. This was the whole point of Jesus’ words to the woman who shouted a blessing on His mother and His rebuke to the religious leaders who asked for a sign. Blessed are the hearers and doers of God’s Word (James 1:22).
A few things stand out to me from these verses. As it relates to verse 33 specifically, we are looking at the preparation, the placement, and the purpose of light.
Preparation
Jesus says that a lamp is lit by somebody; it doesn't just automatically start burning.
Luke 11:33 NKJV
33 “No one, when he has lit a lamp,...(emphasis mine)
Somebody has to trim the wick and light it. So it is with our initial faith journey. We don’t just wake up one day and decide to start following God. Why not? Well, Scripture reminds us,
Ephesians 2:1 NKJV
1 ...who were dead in trespasses and sins,
until the Lord prepared us to respond in faith.
Ephesians 2:1 NKJV
1 And you He made alive... (see also Eph. 2:5; Col 2:13)
This is what Wesleyan-Arminians refer to as the prevenient grace of God and Calvinists have termed the effectual calling. In essence it is the preceding action of God that lights the wick of our hearts that we may, in faith, respond to the grace of God that has appeared to all men (Titus 2:11). And Jesus Himself is the initial flame that lights, for us, the way of salvation.
John, speaking of Jesus, tells us in his first letter,
1 John 1:5 NKJV
5...God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.
He also details in his Gospel record the personal testimony of Jesus,
John 8:12 NKJV
12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
Another important truth we discover in regards to God’s saving grace is what Paul reveals in his letter to the Corinthian believers.
2 Corinthians 4:6 NKJV
6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
This imagery is taken from the Genesis account. The very first words God speaks in Scripture concerns light.
Genesis 1:3–4 NKJV
3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.
4 And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness.
NT commentator, Colin Kruse says,
Paul likens the revelation of the glory of God in Christ to the creative act of God whereby the darkness of the primeval world was banished by the light. Thus the darkness of ignorance in which people are held by the god of this world is banished when, by a new creative act, God shines into their hearts the light of the gospel.[2]
So then, if there is to be any light within the individual by which we may see the, “...the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world” (Jn. 1:9) it has to originate with Jesus,
Hebrews 12:2 NKJV
2 ...the author and finisher of our faith...
Placement
Second, Jesus speaks of the placement or positioning of the light.
Luke 11:33 NKJV
33 “No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand,...
Here is Jesus, the True Light, lifted up for all to see, revealing the truth of God’s Word in everything He did. He exposed the religious leaders and the multitudes to God’s light in the way that He cared for broken, in the way He proclaimed the kingdom of God, in the way He drove out demons by the Finger of God, and even in the sign of Jonah given to the skeptics who tested Him. Consistently, Jesus refused to hide the brilliance of God’s light.
As John says,
John 1:5 NKJV
5 And the light shined in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
Those who took what He said seriously and followed Him, would find a way out of the darkness they were enslaved to. Those who rejected Him would remain blind.
Just as He taught in chapter eight, so He says here, Jesus makes the claim that lighting a lamp only to cover it up is totally ridiculous. The purpose of lighting a lamp is to give light in a dark area. Concealing that light so that its power is not experienced or realized defeats the purpose of lighting it in the first place.
Think about what that means for you practically and personally. For starters, if you are a Christian, the fact that your life has been transformed by the grace of God is no accident.
Through the mouth of the prophet Ezekiel, Yahweh declares,
Ezekiel 36:26–27 NKJV
26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.
It is the Lord Himself who has ignited the flame of your heart. This is His gift to you.
Also, as a new, and divinely inspired light source, wherever you are in life is not by accident either.
Speaking by the Holy Spirit, Paul reminds us,
Acts 17:26–27 NKJV
26 And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings,
27 so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;
Whatever your experiences in this world they are under the compassionate and sovereign hand of the Lord. In a sense, you have been placed where you are to shine for God’s glory. If you are a public school teacher playing “Hobby Lobby music” in your classroom, or dentist who goes out of his way to meet the emergency dental needs of a family after hours during a holiday, or a wife who starts an unexpected mentoring relationship with a stranger through a connection at Crest, or an artist who uses his skills to inspire real hope in those around him, or whatever you do, there is a divine intentionality circulating in your life experiences.
We see this in the story of Joseph. Joseph was the favored son of his father Jacob. Joseph’s jealous brothers sold him into slavery, yet convincing their father that Joseph had died. Through a series of unfortunate events, Joseph eventually obtains a highly favored position in Egypt which actually sets him up to be a “savior” for the Egyptian people, the Hebrews, and the surrounding nations as well. Once his brothers discover that Joseph is a powerful ruler in Egypt they get scared and begin to worry that Joseph is going to do something horrible to them as payback, and here is what Joseph tells them.
Genesis 45:5–8 NKJV
5 But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life.
6 For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting.
7 And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
8 So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.
Joseph was a light ignited by the Lord and placed on a lampstand in Egypt to give light to those around him. You too have been set on a lampstand if the flame of your heart has been lit by the True Light, Jesus Christ.
Those of you who have fled your home countries of South Africa, China, South America, Afghanistan and Iran arriving here in Oklahoma City, in this neighborhood, amongst this congregation, at this time—it was not by accident. You have been placed where you are
Esther 4:14 NKJV
14 ...for such a time as this?”
There is a divine intentionality in your placement. So then, as the apostle Paul would say,
1 Corinthians 7:24 MSG
24 Friends, stay where you were called to be. God is there. Hold the high ground with him at your side.
Purpose
The third and final observation speaks about purpose. If we get this part wrong, we become just like those blind religious leaders who tested Jesus and those who accused Him of demonic activity.
Luke 11:33 NKJV
33 “No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light.
The light that you have been given by God is not just for you my friend, it concerns the need for others as well.
2 Corinthians 5:18 NKJV
18 God...has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,
We are “children of Light” (1 Thess. 5:5). This is why Jesus says in Matthew’s Gospel,
Matthew 5:14 NKJV
14 “You are the light of the world.
Matthew 5:16 NKJV
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
Our transparency is not just a matter of personal expression, but a spiritual responsibility to reflect God’s grace to a world in need of clarity and truth. How we do that matters tremendously.
Shine God’s Word
So then, how can we shine our lights so others can see and give glory to God? Well, one way is by the Word of God itself. Jesus gives this as an example,
Luke 11:34 NKJV
34 The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness.
Jesus’ reference to the eye carries deep meaning. In Scripture, the eye can be healthy or unhealthy, clear or clouded, generous or stingy, spiritually open or spiritually blind. Think about this in connection with the image He’s using: if a person is physically blind, no amount of light will help them see. You can flood a room with lamps, open every window in the house, and let the sun pour in, but none of it will make a bit of difference.
In the same way, no amount of human wisdom can give sight to those who are spiritually blind. No amount of human strength can push back the heavy darkness that surrounds you. The counseling sessions you attend, the self-help books you read, and the daily affirmations you recite each morning can never produce the life change that your soul is longing for. Only the Word of God has the power to give you vision.
Psalm 119:105 NKJV
105 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.
2 Peter 1:19 NKJV
19 And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts;
Those who are trapped in spiritual blindness will remain in darkness until the light of God’s Word penetrates their hearts. And we certainly cannot help others see the God who is Light if we hide the very light He has given us to share with the world.
Shine God’s Love
Another way that we can shine our lights in this dark world is through love. I know that it sounds cliche. It may seem too simplistic, but it works.
Instead of pointing out every mistake your coworker makes, love on them. Instead of reminding your spouse of their flaws day after day, love on them. Instead of condemning people who are different from you, love on them—and see how God uses it.
Before you roll your eyes at the barista for getting you order wrong again, love on them.
Instead of blasting people online because their opinion frustrates you, show them love.
Instead of assuming the worst about people who don’t live, vote, or believe like you, show them love.
When you feel like snapping on your kids when they’re moving too slow and you’re already late, love on them. (That one’s for me).
The Word of God instructs us to begin by loving God above all others, we are to love ourself, to love our neighbors, our enemies and the church. Love, according to God’s Word is tantamount to walking in the light and not darkness.
1 John 2:9–11 NKJV
9 He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now.
10 He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.
11 But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
Love is proof of our belonging to Jesus. Love is what remains after all of our spiritual efforts have been exhausted. If you do not have love you are just a distracting noise.
In Paul’s personal testimony of his conversion experience, he recounts for us how the Lord actually opened his eyes and used him to open the eyes of other people.
Acts 26:15–18 NKJV
15 So I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.
16 But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you.
17 I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you,
18 to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’
In these verses we see how the Lord prepared Paul through his own blindness and vision, we see where He placed Paul amongst the Gentile nations, and we learn of the purpose for which Paul’s eyes were opened. The very people God had delivered him from He sent him to in order to open their eyes as well. The light Paul received wasn’t just for him. The light that you have received from God, is not just for you. You have been placed on a hill, you have been set atop a lampstand in order to shine with the brilliance of a new day that others may see what the Lord has done in you in order to do it in them.
And so, for this reason, Jesus says that we need to give great attention to the lights we have been entrusted with.
Luke 11:35 NKJV
35 Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness.
Respond
Earlier I mentioned that the ignition of our faith is no accident. But the same is true of the situations we find ourselves in—the places we live, the relationships we form, the jobs we hold, and even the unexpected opportunities that cross our paths. None of these are random. God places His people with purpose.
Let me share a real story that happened right here in Oklahoma City earlier this year. Some of you may already know about it, but if you don’t, it’s worth hearing.
I’m not a roofer, but several of you in our congregation are. And recently I learned that at one of the largest roofing conferences in the nation—held in Oklahoma City—hundreds of men and women surrendered their lives to Christ, and dozens were baptized right there at the event.
After reading that, curiosity hit, “How does a roofing conference turn into a revival?”
Here’s how: Hunter, the founder of the conference, is also a Christian. In the fall of 2025 Hunter sensed that the Holy Spirit wanted to use the upcoming conference as a way to give men and women and opportunity to hear the Gospel. He contacted Clay, a pastor friend of his, and after much prayer, planning, and preparation they put the whole thing together. Separately they each had the idea of baptizing folks who surrendered so they went bought horse troughs, filled them with water, and se them up at the conference.
When the conference was finished, they invited anyone who wanted to attend this “after-party” to join them and Clay gave a simple gospel presentation and invited people to respond. Over two hundred of them did and all of heaven rejoiced.[3]
There are countless others, in our city, maybe in this building, who are sitting in spiritual darkness like those roofers were before that conference ended, but because Hunter and Clay understood the purpose behind the light they had received, they placed their lamps high so that the eyes of others would be opened and they could see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ.
You too, no matter where you are or what you’re doing, can shine bright for Jesus in the spaces wherever you find yourself.
Tre Clark
Britton Christian Church
10/4/2026
1. Unexpected help in reaching nomads | OM.org
2. Colin G. Kruse, 2 Corinthians: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 8, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1987), 105.
