In Jesus’ Parable of the Lamp, he compares his word to a lamp. Lamps are designed to provide light in the darkness.

Context: Jesus was sitting in a boat teaching the people on the shore. Jesus had just finished the Parable of the Sower and the Soils, the main point of which was that people respond to the Gospel in different ways. The context here is important; Jesus is still talking about how people hear and respond to his message. Some people don’t accept it at all. Some people seem to accept it at first but then fall away. A few people accept it, keep it, and bring forth fruit.

The main point is that we must be careful how we hear and respond to Jesus and his message. If we respond to Jesus’ word in faith, we’ll understand more. If we respond with doubt or neglect, Jesus message will remain a mystery to us.

The second part of this section (vss. 19-21) records Jesus’ response to news that his family had arrived to see him. He uses that occasion to define what it means to be a part of his spiritual family.