各位弟兄姊妹平安，今天要講的故事是叫做「燈台的故事」。這個故事出自馬可福音四章21節，同樣地，這段故事也能夠在馬太福音的五章14-16節找到相似的記載。一起讀的話，會讓這個故事更加鮮明。所以建議大家去讀一下馬太福音的紀錄。
「一個人拿燈來，豈是要放在斗底下、床底下，不放在燈台上嗎？」在馬太福音五章講得更直接：「你們是世上的光。城造在山上是不能隱藏的。人點燈不放在斗底下，是放在燈台上，就照亮一家的人。你們的光也當這樣照在人前，叫人看見你們的好行為，便將榮耀歸給你們在天上的父。」
這句話聽起來很像常識，當然沒有人想要開燈，然後把它蓋起來。開燈的目的本來就是要照亮。
但這很有趣，照亮這件事情其實不是每個人都喜歡。我們來打個比方，你們看過的電影裡面，如果想要偷偷地潛入某個地方的話，一定是在黑夜之中，最好是在沒有光的地方。要躲開光，所以當我們人或者是最想要躲開光就不想要被看見的時候，這個時候照亮是不好的，至少對於這個人來說。但是，當燈被打開的時候，這一切就會彰顯出來，也都被看見。所以耶穌接著說：「因為掩藏的事，沒有不顯出來的，隱瞞的事，沒有不露出來的。」
當我們講出真理，當我們宣揚真理的時候，其實是會招致危險。你有沒有看過在你參加的組織或是群體中，當你看見事情的真相，而你把它講出來的話，很多人會說這個人“不識時務”，或者是說這個人 “破壞和諧”。等到我們去思考這件事情，為什麼我們的文化之中，有一些大家都一起造假的事情呢？明明知道事情的真假，明明知道事情的對錯，但是大家卻莫名其妙地用同一個方式去視而不見、聽而不聞、沉默不語。
這一段告訴我們，你們是世上的光。你若看見了真理，你若明白了真理，你若不說，你就是那個蓋在斗底下的燈。燈光是為了照明，燈光設備讓人看見，燈光是為了驅走黑暗。而如果燈光被蓋著，我們的燈就失去了用處，失去了意義。
在1517年，當時的一個天主教徒叫做馬丁路德。他決定揭露當時羅馬天主教的腐敗，他攻擊了贖罪卷的買賣制度。他為了寫了95條告示批評這個制度，並把這95條貼在德國威登堡大學的大門口上。這件事情讓所有的人都看見了他的行為，也點燃了改變歐洲甚至世界歷史的宗教改革。他選擇的日期是11月1號，就是今天我們認為是萬聖節（Halloween）的後一天。其實10月31號叫做All Saints Day這是教會一年中很重要的一天。
如果他是個審慎的人，他不會做這件事；如果他是個貪生怕死的人，他更不會去寫出這些事情，招致自己的生命危險。但他認定真理比他自己的生命重要，所以他明知道他要得罪當時最有權力的天主教會，他也義無反顧。就如同耶穌一樣，耶穌明目張膽地跟法利賽人對抗，他明明知道這樣會造成他的危險，甚至到後來會死亡。但那是耶穌的目的，就是要將光照在人前。
在每個行業、每一個工作之上，我們都需要跟隨真理的人，要求正確，要求正當。因為如果我們沒有作為燈，沒有作為光，那這世界會是何等的黑暗呢？我們可以注意到，即使在完全漆黑的房間裡面，哪怕只是小小的光，一顆小小的燈泡，一個小小的手電筒，他都能夠為這房間帶來視野，讓人看見，這個房間不再是全然的黑暗，我們能夠看見了。哪怕這個光是相當微小的，都能夠照亮。
而我們要明白，原本房間裡面所存在的一切沒有消失，沒有改變，只不過因為黑暗而看不見，當這光出來的時候，它就照出了房間的樣貌。勇敢地做那個光，因為你可以成為照亮世界的人。
感謝各位的聆聽。明天我們繼續分享的是種子生長和芥菜種的故事。
Dear brothers and sisters, peace be with you. Today's story is called "The Story of the Lampstand." This story is found in Mark 4:21, and similarly, you can find a parallel account in Matthew 5:14-16. Reading both together will enhance the clarity of this story. So, I encourage everyone to take a moment to read the record in Matthew's Gospel.
"A person brings a lamp, isn't it to put it under a basket or under a bed? Isn't it to be placed on a lampstand?" Matthew's Gospel puts it more directly: "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."
This sounds like common sense, doesn't it? Of course, no one wants to turn on a light and then cover it up. The purpose of turning on a light is to illuminate.
But here's the interesting part: not everyone enjoys being illuminated. Let's use an analogy: in the movies you've seen, if someone wants to sneak into a place, it's always at night, preferably in the darkest spots. They want to avoid the light. So, when we, as people, want to avoid being seen, that's when illumination becomes undesirable, at least for that person. However, when the light is turned on, everything is revealed, everything is seen. So Jesus goes on to say, "For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light."
When we speak the truth, when we proclaim the truth, it can actually be dangerous. Have you ever seen in organizations or groups you're part of that when you speak the truth, many will say that person "doesn't know how to go along with things," or that person is "disruptive"? When we contemplate why in our culture some things are collectively ignored, even though we know the truth about them, even though we know right from wrong, everyone inexplicably turns a blind eye, deaf ear, and remains silent.
This passage tells us, "You are the light of the world." If you see the truth, if you understand the truth, and you don't speak it, you're like a lamp covered under a basket. Light is meant for illumination; lighting devices are meant to be seen; light is meant to dispel darkness. And if the light is covered, our lamp becomes useless, meaningless.
In 1517, there was a Catholic monk named Martin Luther. He decided to expose the corruption within the Roman Catholic Church at the time, particularly its sale of indulgences. He wrote 95 theses criticizing this practice and nailed them to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. This action brought his behavior to light and ignited the Protestant Reformation, which changed the course of European and even world history. He chose the date of November 1st, which we now recognize as the day after Halloween. In fact, October 31st is known as All Saints' Day, a significant day in the church calendar.
If he were cautious, he wouldn't have done it; if he were cowardly, he certainly wouldn't have written those things, risking his own life. But he believed that the truth was more important than his own life, so he knowingly offended the most powerful institution of his time, the Catholic Church, without hesitation. Just like Jesus, who boldly confronted the Pharisees, knowing full well the danger it posed, even leading to his eventual death. But that was Jesus' purpose, to shine the light before others.
In every industry, every job, we need people who follow the truth, who demand what is right and just. Because if we don't act as lights, if we don't act as beacons, how dark would this world be? We can observe that even in a completely dark room, even just a small light, a small bulb, a small flashlight, can provide visibility, allow people to see, and the room is no longer entirely dark; we can see. Even though the light may be quite small, it can still illuminate.
And we must understand that everything that was already in the room hasn't disappeared, hasn't changed; it's just unseen because of the darkness. When this light comes out, it reveals the appearance of the room. Be brave to be that light, because you can be the one to illuminate the world.
Thank you all for listening. Tomorrow, we will continue to share the story of seed growth and the mustard seed.
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