CHURCH ON THE MAINSTREET [Part One]: The parable of a Candle stick.

This series is actually from a yet to be published book I wrote. I will be bringing this discourse to us chapter by chapter at intervals of 2 to 3 days.

Candles have played a prominent part in human history and have been used by man for centuries. The Romans are credited with developing the wick candle, using it to aid travelers in the dark and lighting homes and places of worship at night time. The Romans relied on tallow, gathered from cattle or sheep suet, as the principal ingredients in making candles. Though it was not until the Middle Age that beeswax, a substance secreted by honey bees to make their honeycombs, was introduced into the candle making process. Beeswax candles were a marked improvement over those made with tallow, for they did not produce a smoky flame, or emit an acrid odour when burned. Instead, beeswax candles burned pure and clean. However, they were expensive, and, therefore, only the wealthy could afford them.

It was during the 19th century that most major developments affecting contemporary candle making occurred. In 1834, inventor Joseph Morgan introduced a machine which allowed the continuous production of molded candles by the use of a cylinder which featured a movable piston that ejected candles as they solidified.

Further developments in candle making occurred in 1850 with the production of paraffin wax made from oil and coal shales. Processed by distilling the residues left after crude oil was refined, the bluish-white wax was found to burn cleanly, and with no unpleasant odour. Of great significance was its cost - paraffin wax was more economical to produce than any preceding candle fuel developed. Candles were an absolutely important part of life before the advent of electricity. In simple terms, candle was to them in those generations what electricity is to us now.

It was based on this understanding, Jesus states in the book of Matthew five verses fifteen that the purpose of lighting a candle is to give light to the whole house.

…Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it

giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they

may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (Mat 5:15-16 KJV)

Jesus was only stating the obvious. No normal thinking person would light a candle and then cover it with a bowl. That would be ridiculous isn’t it? I have not met anybody in his or her right senses who would do that.

In custom with speaking valuable words, Jesus makes a very important statement relating our lives to lights that should shine in the world. He however did not do this without expressing a trend that would arise in the Church in later years. Jesus made this statement in admonishing us to let our light to shine before men that they may SEE OUR GOOD WORKS. Obviously, men can’t see our good works if we keep these good works hidden. A good question you might want to ask at this point is how in the world we could hide our good works? Before answering that, I would like to express my discovery that most of the stories and parables that Jesus told while he walked the earth were derived from his observation of everyday life. So probably he went visiting a certain disciple in his house on a very cold winter night. As was expected the house was lit with candles placed at strategic places to give illumination, facilitating sight and human movement to prevent collisions. 

Maybe as Jesus was discussing the politics of the city with these disciples he noticed a little child who was playing with a candle stick and then putting the lighted candle under a bowl. He must have watched with fascination the reaction of the kid’s parent. The parents most likely told the child sternly how naughty he was and explained to this ignorant mind how lighted candles are not meant to be placed under a bowl. Maybe and just maybe that was how Jesus got this particular analogy.

And after considering our actions as his disciples, he says to us ‘men do not light a candle and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ Why on earth would Jesus say that to us? Maybe we [Christians] are like that little child; who have hidden our candles, hence the light it shines [our good works] is not visible to world we live in. Please note that if hiding our light was not a possibility, Jesus wouldn’t have given that analogy. The reason there is darkness in the world is because our light isn’t shinning. Darkness is the absence of light not the opposite of it.

...to be continued.