Luke 11:33-36 (ESV)

“No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light. Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness. Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness. If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it will be wholly bright, as when a lamp with its rays gives you light.”

Jesus is still talking about their request for a sign – and their inability to see the signs all around them.

For as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. … The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. – Luke 11:30, 32

In today’s passage, Jesus’ point isn’t about whether or not He’s hiding His lamp under a basket. Of course He’s not doing that.

His point is about their eyes. There’s plenty of light right in front of them, but they’re not letting it in. When the lamp of your body isn’t letting any light in, then your body is full of darkness.

His audience is familiar with light and dark representing good and evil. They get this. Jesus is claiming to be the light and without His light, they are full of darkness. Then comes the hook.

“Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness. If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it will be wholly bright, as when a lamp with its rays gives you light.”

Be careful. There’s danger here.

They’re rejecting the truth and can end up in total darkness.

Two thousand years later we still see people closing their eyes to the truth. The tragedy is all around us. We should pray for our nation early and often.

First, let’s thank God for the way He has blessed our nation in the past. On the back of a one dollar bill is a pyramid. Above it are the words ANNUIT COEPTIS, which is Latin for “He has smiled on our beginnings.” That’s a wonderfully accurate description of what happened.

http://greatseal.com/mottoes/coeptis.html

Second, ask Him for help. Frankly, the specifics are a bit tricky here. Great awakenings often come from great pain. Nevertheless, we desperately need a revival.

And that may not come cheap.

The weekly study guides, which include discussion questions, are available for download here:

https://www.ailbe.org/resources/itemlist/category/91-deep-studies