Sharing Bread Matthew 13:47-50

SHARING BREAD

⁴⁷ “Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. ⁴⁸ When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. ⁴⁹ This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous ⁵⁰ and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Matt 13:47-50 (NIV)

Hell isn’t a very popular subject.  Indeed, I dare say if a sign were outside the church building flashing Hell as the Sunday sermon the crowds would be dismally down.  Hell is all too often not taken into our consideration or perhaps, like Governor Felix whom the Apostle Paul spoke to, we purposely delay our thoughts on the subject postponing them until perhaps a more convenient time (like our deathbed) – yet oftentimes this convenient time to hear Truth never arrives.  We often do not like dwelling on death, the devil and destruction or even that which counters it – faith in Christ if it means we must change our lives, be uncomfortable or held responsible.  We discover Paul’s encounter with Felix in Acts:

²⁴ Several days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁵ As Paul discoursed on righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, “That's enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.”   Acts 24:24-25 (NIV)

There is generally no flocking to hear about hellfire and brimstone or even accountability – our ears don’t normally perk up to the sound of those words.  We much prefer listening to topics on love and joy and peace.  Things that tickle our ears and make us feel warm and cozy and good inside.  “Weeping and gnashing of teeth” simply do not give us the warm fuzzies we seek.  It’s as if we believe that if we do not hear about Hell or think about Hell or just plain ignore Hell, it will simply go away.  We do not like thinking our choices and actions reap either eternal consequences or blessings.  But sticking our heads in the ground about the end of the age or the end of our lives won’t make it magically disappear.

Interestingly, the Lord Jesus spoke quite often of this place of torment - stating it to be a very real place of horror.  In love, he warns us –kindly red flags us - as well as all who followed faithfully after Him – over and over again - so that at the end of our lives we will not find ourselves unsaved - words cannot adequately describe that doom.  He died to save us - for us to be with Him eternally in heaven.       

“It is shocking to reflect that a change in the weather has more effect on some men's lives than the dread alternative of heaven or hell.  A woman's glance affects them more than the eye of God.   We cannot, however, be content with this; we labor that those around us may savingly believe by putting their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the grand saving act: The man brings his soul and commits it to Christ for safe keeping, and that entrusting of the soul to Jesus saves him. He makes the Saviour trustee of his spiritual estates, and leaves himself and all his eternal interests in those dear hands which once were nailed to the cross. Oh, how we long to see the Holy Spirit bringing men to this, that they may believe in Jesus Christ by resting in Him and trusting upon Him. For this we live, for this we would be content to die, that many might believe.”  Charles H. Spurgeon

In our verses for today our Lord likens the coming kingdom of heaven to a net being let down into the vast sea of humanity bringing up all sorts of catch – the good with the evil – the fish with the trash, rubbish, dirt, weeds and vermin.  This net has begun to fill and will continue to fill until our Lord’s return.  The time will come at the end of the age when it becomes full and carefully drug to the shore where - by the hand of the angels - the good and the bad will be separated.  Those who through faith in Christ will rise to be with Him in paradise eternally and those who sadly willing choose not to believe will be thrown into the place of torment prepared for the devil and his angels.  Jesus tells us later in Matthew:

³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.’”   Matt 25:34 (NIV)

 

⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’”    Matt 25:41 (NIV)

 

“God is love and only love. In God there is no hatred, desire for revenge, or pleasure in seeing us punished. God wants to forgive, heal, restore, show us endless mercy, and see us come home. But just as the father of the prodigal son let his son make his own decision God gives us the freedom to move away from God's love even at the risk of destroying ourselves. Hell is not God's choice. It is ours.”   Henri Nouwen

¹⁶ “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. ¹⁹ This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. ²⁰ Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. ²¹ But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”   John 3:16-21 (NIV)

 

What I glean from this:

 

·       My refusal not to think about heaven or hell will not make them go away.

·       Jesus spoke much regarding hell to lovingly warn me against the horror of it.

·       God desires for all to be saved yet sadly we do not all desire to be saved.

  

 

Sharing Bread Matthew 13:44-46

SHARING BREAD

⁴⁴ “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.”

⁴⁵ “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. ⁴⁶ When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.”

Matt 13:44-46 (NIV)

“If religion is worth anything, it is worth everything.  They who do not like Christ on these terms, may leave him at their peril.  Whatever we part with for this pearl of price, we may comfort ourselves with this belief, that it is well worth what we give for it.  The terms are, that we prefer Christ.”   Matthew Henry

The question of the day for us to ponder appears to be – Is Christ worth all to us?  Is He above the “pearls” of our professions, our possessions, and our people?  Do we search for Him as the hidden Treasure, the Pearl of great prize?  Could we, as Paul stated in Philippians, count all things as lost – all credits to our fading honor – in order to passionately pursue Him – ever desirous of going deeper still in our knowledge of the Lord Jesus?  This, of course, was the goal Paul pressed on to achieve – as if one could ever comprehend fully the depths of the Infinite.

⁷ But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸ What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. ¹⁰ I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹ and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.  ¹² Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. ¹³ Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Phil 3:7-14 (NIV)

“For when I am to you more precious than all else; when I have become more real to you than all else; and when you love Me more than you love any other, then shall you know complete satisfaction.  Your peace shall flow as a river, and your joy shall overflow as a fountain, and My glory shall be poured out as the fragrant anointing oil upon all your other relationships.”   Frances J. Roberts  

Did you note the continued passion in Paul’s words?  The straining, the pressing onward, the focus on the goal all clearly demonstrated he believed he had by no means reached the final stage of his sanctification.  He continued to maintain that he still had more spiritual heights to climb.  This was Paul, for heaven’s sakes.  He had been a believer for 30 years when he wrote this and had won many spiritual battles as well as grown greatly in the faith.  I do not believe I exaggerate when I state modern day believers would be hard pressed to find someone who could fill his shoes (to say the least!).  This serves as a reminder to us that there will never be a time in our spiritual life where we are in a stalemate regarding our spiritual growth or reach a plateau beyond which we cannot climb further still.    

Jesus Christ is to be our true Treasure.  In Him are found the fullness of all the riches of incomparably great understanding, knowledge, wisdom, power, mercy and grace.  He is of unspeakable value and worth and in having Him our cups are not only filled, they run over.  These are paltry and inept statements in light of the great “I AM” – mere words could never do Him justice.  He is the God of ultimate sufficiency if we allow Him to fill every crevice in our aching souls.  That is His desire you know.  He longs for us to be complete in Him for that was what we were created for.

 

“Blessed are they to whom the gospel has made known the unsearchable riches of Christ.  He is that one pearl of great price, in comparison of whom all other goodly things that men desire are worthless.  Without him we are poor and miserable, though we abound in all manner of worldly store; but if we have found him and discovered the excellency of his name, we are in possession of a treasure that makes us rich indeed, and have reason to be content with our portion, though stripped of every earthly comfort; for the Father gives grace and glory, even eternal life, in his Son Jesus Christ; and he that hath the Son of God hath life.  Oh, my soul, thou, like the merchantman, hast been seeking goodly pearls, and eagerly looking here and there for happiness all thy days.  Hast thou, at length, been enlightened to perceive where true joys are to be found?  Then wilt thou be willing to sell all in order to win Christ, and be found in him; if there is anything that thou art unwilling to part with for his sake, thou knowest not his value, thou art not worthy of him.”     K. H. Von Bogatzky

 

¹⁵ He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. ¹⁶ For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. ¹⁷ He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. ¹⁸ And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. ¹⁹ For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, ²⁰ and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.   Col 1:15-20 (NIV)

 

“Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart; Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art Thou my best Thought, by day or by night, Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise, Thou mine Inheritance, now and always: Thou and Thou only, first in my heart, High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.”   Dallan Forgail

 

What I glean from this:

 

·       Christ is to be worth everything to me – more precious than all else.

·       There is never to be a time in my spiritual life where my growth is stagnant.  I am either going forward or I go backward.

·       Jesus is my true Treasure.   

 

Sharing Bread Matthew 13:36-43

SHARING BREAD

³⁶ Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”

³⁷ He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. ³⁸ The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, ³⁹ and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.”

⁴⁰ “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. ⁴¹ The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. ⁴² They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ⁴³ Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.”

Matt 13:36-43 (NIV)

Surely, it will not fare well for everything which causes sin and for all who persist in doing evil.  The angels will one day come and separate the righteous from the unrighteous – the clean from the unclean.  All hidden things will one day be brought to light.  The righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of God yet the unrighteous thrown into the fiery furnace where there will be horrific weeping and gnashing of teeth.  We are to consider ourselves warned by the Lord Jesus. 

But who is righteous - for “all our righteous acts are like filthy rags” says Isaiah.  And “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” says Paul who also adds “the wages of sin is death”.  Surely, there is no one righteous – not even one.  Apart from Christ, we are all helpless and hopeless.  Every soul is in need of the Savior – every soul. The fallen human race needs God. Therefore God demonstrated His love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Man’s plight was dire and God’s intervention potent.

“It is the highest benevolence to warn men of their danger, and to exhort them to escape from the wrath which will surely come upon them, for ‘It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.’ We feel that it must be a fearful thing to be punished for sin when you remember the atonement. It is our full belief as Christians, that, in order to pardon human sin, it was necessary that God himself should become incarnate, and that the Son of God should suffer excruciating pains, to which the dignity of his person added infinite weight. Brethren, if the wrath of God be a mere trifle, there was no need of a Saviour to deliver us; it were as well to have let so small a matter take its course; or, if the Saviour came merely to save us from a pinch or two, why is so much said in his praise? What need for heaven and earth to ring with the glories of him who would save us from a small mischief? But mark the word. As the sufferings of the Saviour were intense beyond all conception, and as no less a person than God himself must endure these sufferings for us, that must have been an awful, not to say infinite evil, from which there was no other way for us to escape except by the bleeding and dying of God’s dear Son. Think lightly of hell, and you will think lightly of the cross. Think little of the sufferings of lost souls, and you will soon think little of the Saviour who delivers you from them. God grant we may not live to see such a Christ-dishonouring theology dominant in our times.”  Charles H. Spurgeon

“Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord” Paul tells us in Romans adding:

¹ Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,^[   Romans 8:1 (NIV)

 

In His great mercy, God sent His Son to die in my place and yours so that we might wear His righteousness – all good seed, all graces; all souls sanctified are owing to Christ.  The glorious salvation – our righteousness – we have in Christ by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone.    

 

²¹ God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.   2 Cor 5:21 (NIV)

Sadly, in this parable we discover that presently the righteous and unrighteous are sown together in this world and can be found in our churches, in our relationships and in our daily activities.  There is a great deal of secret wickedness in the hearts of men hidden under the cloak of plausible profession or feigned righteousness.  It is thankfully not up to us to know the condition of another person’s heart albeit God does tell us fruit consistently produced will give us a good clue.  Only God possess the true knowledge of what is in a man’s heart – yet we are to endeavor to examine our own hearts.  I am reminded of Job’s terse response to his pious “friends” regarding his predicament and their examination of his life:

⁹ Would it turn out well if he examined you?  Could you deceive him as you might deceive men? Job 13:9 (NIV)

The Prophet Jeremiah tells us it is God who searches the heart and examines the mind:

⁹ The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? ¹⁰ “I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve.”   Jer 17:9-10 (NIV)

 

Also, nothing is ever hidden from God’s sight.  The motives of our hearts are weighed by the Lord as well.  God judges people on the basis of why they act. The writer of Hebrews tells us:

 

¹³ Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Heb 4:13 (NIV)

 

Scripture also states in Proverbs:

 

² All a man's ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the LORD.   Prov 16:2 (NIV)

 

What I glean from this:

 

·       The righteous will one day shine like the sun in the kingdom of God.  Sadly, everything that causes sin and all who do evil will be thrown into the fiery furnace.

·       Christ died to save me.

·       I am to examine my own heart.

 

Sharing Bread Matthew 13:34-35

SHARING BREAD

³⁴ Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. ³⁵ So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet:

“I will open my mouth in parables,
I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.”

Matt 13:34-35 (NIV)

In parabolic jargon, Jesus made known the mysterious manifold wisdom of God – things that had been prior hidden for ages and generations now made known to the saints.  Not only was our Lord teaching Truths not previously revealed He was also fulfilling prophecy by the parables He spoke:

² I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter hidden things, things from of old--   Psalms 78:2 (NIV)

The mystery of the Gospel had been hidden in God – in His purposes and decrees for ages past.  Grace was now being poured out and the unsearchable riches of Christ were becoming known to those who had ears to hear.  Paul tells us in Ephesians his like calling:

⁸ Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, ⁹ and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.   Eph 3:8-9 (NIV)

I am also reminded of Paul’s words to the Colossians who again stated his commission of presenting the Word of God in its fullness – the hidden Word now made manifest:

²⁵ I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness-- ²⁶ the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. ²⁷ To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. ²⁸ We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. ²⁹ To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.   Col 1:25-29 (NIV)

 

“His wisdom’s vast, and knows no bounds, a deep where all our thoughts are drowned.”  Isaac Watts

The fullness of the mystery of the wisdom of God is found in Christ alone.  It is not simply in obtaining more information from God; rather it is coming to know what He is like and seeking to follow His ways through His power. The Word is only ours when we have acted on it - becoming effective when we have allowed God to move our hearts and minds and our actions.  Jesus came to flesh out God to man.  The “wisdom” of the world knows Him not.  Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians:

²⁰ Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? ²¹ For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.   1 Cor 1:20-21 (NIV)

 

³⁰ It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.  1 Cor 1:30 (NIV)

 

God Himself provides all revelation – all means of knowing Him.  Our understanding comes not from our futile pursuits.  Obtaining spiritual knowledge however does require our diligence but it is a diligence and desire to hear from Him – to seek Him with ears prepared and attentive to listen and respond.  God has called every believer to go further still in our depth and knowledge of Him – we were not saved for superficiality.  It is our privilege to delve into a richer and fuller knowledge of Him Who is boundless in His wisdom.  Every sliver of knowledge obtained also carries with it the call to its obedience.  Use it or lose it.

“All true knowledge of God is born out of obedience.”  John Calvin 

“God will never reveal more truth about Himself till you obey what you know already.”   Oswald Chambers

Jeremiah tells us:

 

¹² “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. ¹⁴ I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity.”   Jer 29:12-14 (NIV)

 

“It is light that enables us to see the differences between things; and it is Christ who gives us light.”   Augustus Hare

What I glean from this:

·       Jesus made known the mysterious manifold wisdom of God through parables for those who had ears to hear.

·       God’s grace was poured out in the Lord Jesus.

·       I am called to act on the Truth I know.  It is to transform my life.

 

 

       

 

 

Sharing Bread Matthew 13:31-33

SHARING BREAD

³¹ He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. ³² Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches.”

³³ He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough.”

Matt 13:31-33 (NIV)

In the first of the two parables presented here in our verses for today, Jesus refers to the kingdom of heaven as a tiny mustard seed of faith planted in the field of the fertile heart.  Though the Gospel begins ever so small, its progress and end will demonstrate a powerfully great increase as did the largest tree in the garden which sprung from the smallest of seeds.  The Gospel is commonly very weak and tiny in its beginnings – the breaking of the Gospel light is as the dawning of the day.  Young converts as small lambs are first “carried” in His arms - close to His heart - as Isaiah so sweetly states:

¹¹ He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.   Isaiah 40:11 (NIV)

 

Yet faith is not to remain small in the heart rather like the mustard seed it is to grow to greatness.  The seed itself is small yet within it carries the disposition to grow.  Gracious habits confirmed and continued, growing knowledge of the Master, increasing love and ardent zeal all point to the seed sprouting and growing.  Indeed, Paul chastises the Corinthians for their lack of spiritual growth – they should have been on meat concerning the Gospel yet remained as babes lapping down milk – to their own harm:

 

¹ Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly--mere infants in Christ. ² I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. ³ You are still worldly.   1 Cor 3:1-3 (NIV)

 

Peter also adds the following for our enlightenment - encouraging us to persevere in the faith and to grow up into all that God has purposed in advance for us to be and do.  The goal of our faith - the salvation of our souls - is to grow up in our salvation becoming ever more like the Master:

 

¹ Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. ² Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, ³ now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.    1 Peter 2:1-3 (NIV)

 

“The Lord Jesus received is holiness begun, the Lord Jesus cherished is holiness advancing, the Lord Jesus counted upon as never absent would be holiness complete….He is most holy who has most of Christ within, and joys most fully in the finished work.  It is defective faith which clogs the feet and causes many a fall.”   Hudson Taylor

“The first thing God requires of His child is obedience.”   Charles H. Spurgeon

Next, our Lord likens the kingdom of heaven to yeast mixed into much flour until it permeated the dough.  Most often in the Bible yeast is compared to sin or of evil but in this instance Jesus uses it as a positive symbol of growth and permeation.  He implies that just as the yeast has great impact on the flour – transforming it – so too the kingdom of heaven should advance and permeate the culture.

¹² From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.   Matt 11:12 (NIV)

 

The original disciples had no rule books on Discipleship 101 - they merely followed in Jesus’ footsteps with the indwelling power of His Holy Spirit and they turned their world upside down – on foot by the way.  Nothing much has changed since these guys’ dusty sandals walked the earth regarding the responsibilities of our faith – we are still called to walk as Jesus walked in His power.  We are to be as cities on hills that cannot be hidden – lights that point others to the Way, the Truth and the Life.  So how are we doing in this extraordinary endeavor?  Does it even cross our minds as we go out our very “daily” days?  Are we more consumed with our own agendas rather than Gods?  We rob our own selves when we willingly choose to disregard His purposes for why we are even here.

       

“God wants us to be victors, not victims…..to overcome, not to be overwhelmed.”   William Arthur Ward

Live in peace with each other. ¹⁴ And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. ¹⁵ Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.  ¹⁶ Be joyful always; ¹⁷ pray continually; ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. ¹⁹ Do not put out the Spirit's fire; ²⁰ do not treat prophecies with contempt. ²¹ Test everything. Hold on to the good. ²² Avoid every kind of evil. ²³ May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴ The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.    1 Thess 5:13-24 (NIV)

 

What I glean from this:

 

·       Faith begins small yet grows big.

·       I am to walk as Jesus walked.

·       I am not to hide the Light of Jesus by my words and deeds.