In today’s Gospel Jesus tells us to shine brightly in the world: we are the lamps He has set on fire with faith, and we must not fail to share that light with the world. The Church itself is not a vessel by which to conceal the light, but a lampstand from which to share that light with the entire world. Those who have faith will be given more; those who have none will lose what little they have. So why does He say, “Take care, then, how you hear?” What does hearing have to do with faith, with shining brightly in this dark world?
At the beginning of John’s Gospel, Jesus is identified as the Word of God (John 1:1-3) and we are told as well that His life is “…the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it,” (John 1:4-5). Later, at the moment of His Transfiguration, when He is shining with brilliant white light, the vision is obscured by a cloud and the voice of the Father says, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him,” (Matthew 17:5). Jesus is the Word of God; He is not so much meant to be seen as He is meant to be listened to; was it not a failure to listen to God—to obey Him—that led mankind to fall in the first place?
St. Paul writes to the Romans saying, “Thus faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ,” (Romans 10:17). If we take the time in prayer, in reading Scripture, in attending Mass, to really listen to Jesus and what He has to say, then our hearts are stirred to flame with love for the One who first loved us (1 John 4:19), and the light shining in the darkness shines all the brighter, fulfilling the command of Christ: “You are the light of the world…your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father,” (Matthew 5:14, 16).