Lamp under a bushel

thumb|The parable of the lamp under a bushel, etching by Jan Luyken The parable of the lamp under a bushel (also known as the lamp under a bowl) is one of the parables of Jesus. In Matthew, the parable is a continuation of the discourse on salt and light in Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, whereas in Mark and Luke, it is connected with Jesus' explanation of the Parable of the Sower. Quotes about Bible You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. [Gospel of Matthew]] 5:14-15 NIV. He said to them, “Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don’t you put it on its stand? For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear.”“Consider carefully what you hear,” he continued. “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and even more. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.” Gospel of Mark 4:21-25 NIV. No one lights a lamp and hides it in a clay jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, they put it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light. For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they think they have will be taken from them. Gospel of Luke 8:16-18 NIV. Others Wherefore, in their craft, as children of this world, after feeding their so-called lamp from the wild olive, and fearing lest it should soon be quenched (for it is said, 'the light of the wicked shall be put out Job 18:5,') they hide it under the bushel of their hypocrisy, and make a different profession, and boast of patronage of friends and authority of Constantius, that what with their hypocrisy and their professions, those who come to them may be kept from seeing how foul their heresy is. Saint Athanasius of Alexandria, Discourse 1 Against the Arians, Chapter 3. A community of Jesus which seeks to hide itself has ceased to follow him. “Neither do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on the stand.” … The bushel may be the fear of men, or perhaps deliberate conformity to the world for some ulterior motive. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Discipleship (1937), The Visible Community, exegesis of Matthew 5:13, p. 118. It has been said that Catholic education before the council lacked heart and after the council it lacked head. I hope we are well on our way to striking a balance in the catechesis of our young people today. Colleen Carroll Campbell’s critically acclaimed book The New Faithful offers hope and direction to those interested in striking this balance by examining the differences between Baby Boomers and Gen-Xers in terms of Catholic education and formation. Campbell argues that in order to find this balance, it is imperative to stay rooted in the deposit of faith handed on by the apostles, while at the same time allowing that faith tradition to remain relevant and be salt and light in the modern world. This is at the heart of orthodoxy. But if we are not careful, the salt may lose its flavor and the lamp may make its way under a bushel basket. Fr. Damien Ference, “Catholic Education and Masturbation”, “Dappled Things” But the Lord does not dwell long on the parable of the lamp; he moves from external light to internal light, to what man needs as his spiritual essence. And he points to the eye as light. [...] But this also refers to the brightness in which the Lord wants to see his own. Their transparency as a whole, their openness, their lack of secrets, their ability to show themselves, even to the point of confessing their own sins. Their revealing themselves before him, so that he can see them everywhere. [...] Love needs light, evidence, transparency, and for this we must offer our contribution, putting ourselves and allowing ourselves to be found where the Lord expects to see us. In the light that ultimately gives us his eye. We are, in fact, members of his body; we belong to him. And his ever-healthy eye wants to communicate perfect light to us from all sides. Adrienne von Speyr, Le parabole del Signore (Gleichnisse des Herrn, 1966), translation into Italian by Giuseppe Reguzzoni, Jaca Book, Milano, 2008, p. 148. ISBN 978-88-16-30459-8. (Herb) You are the light of the world! You are the light of the world. But a light under a bushel has lost something kind of crucial You've gotta stay bright to be the light of the world! (Herb) You are the city of god! You are the city of god! But a city on a hill is kinda of hard to hide it well! (Herb) You are salt of the earth. You are the salt of the earth. But a salt that's lost its flavor ain't got much in its favor! (All) Let you light so shine before men. Let your light so shine. So that they might know some kindness again. We all need help to feel fine. (Judas) Let's have some wine! Godspell, Light of the World External links Lamp under a basket hide one's light under a bushel Category:Parables of Jesus