Out of the basket

by Anita Foster

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… Is a lamp brought in to be put under the bushel basket or under the bed and not on the lampstand? (Mark 4:21)

Read Mark 4:21–25

I have a basket in my house. A rather large one, perhaps even the size of a bushel basket – I’m not sure! This basket is the place where I quickly hide clutter in our house when I want the place to look tidy. It’s where things go when I don’t have time to sort them out yet or put them in their proper place, but when I also don’t want the contents of the basket on display. My children sometimes do the same thing when I ask them to tidy their room, hiding things away under their beds.

This passage about light and hearing is found amid Jesus’ use of parables to teach about the kingdom of God. It follows the Parable of the Sower and Jesus’ explanation of both the parable and his use of parables with the disciples.

Jesus asks whether you would hide away a lamp under the bed or under a basket. It’s a bit like the ultimate rhetorical question or appeal to our common sense. Would we? Of course not! Because the purpose of a lamp is to shed light, not to be hidden.

I wonder then, what that looks like for the purpose of God’s word in our own lives? Is the Living Word shining and on display in our homes and lives? Is it an active and lived part of us, listening to God and seeking to understand more about the kingdom of God?

Or perhaps there are times when it is more convenient for God’s word or our faith life to stay hidden away in the basket, the shelf or under the bed. Shoved away or compartmentalised. Applied in certain situations but not others.

Can people see Christ through our actions? Do we seek to bring God’s word to life in ways that others can understand, as Jesus does through these parables? I wonder what simple, faithful words and actions could allow God’s goodness to shine through you today?

Lord, help us not to hide our faith, but to live it openly and faithfully each day. Give us courage and strength to let your light be seen. Amen.

Anita Foster lives in Melbourne’s outer east with her husband and three teen and tween daughters. She is the Director of Faith and Formation at Luther College in Croydon, and she loves teaching, theatre, being in nature and finding new ways to express her creativity.

A light that changes things

by Anita Foster

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In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16).

Read Matthew 5:13–20

Light changes things. It can change a mood and help us and others to see things more clearly, especially those things that are hard to find or see in the dark. We talk about ‘shedding light’ on situations. In fact, we need light for our eyes to function properly.

On 22 January 2026, Australians were encouraged to light a candle on doorsteps or windows as a message of hope, unity and remembrance in the wake of the Bondi Beach terror attack. An action that provides a hopeful glimmer of light after a distressing time.

When Jesus discusses light in this passage, it comes from the famous Sermon on the Mount. Jesus teaches that we are light in this world. Light to help others see God more clearly. To bring the hope and light of Christ into every situation we find ourselves in.

When Jesus speaks of letting our light shine, it emphasises the purpose of God’s word and the Holy Spirit’s work of faith in us as not just for our own benefit, but for those around us.

Jesus was very familiar with the Jewish rituals involving the lighting of candlesticks and lamps. The simplicity of these everyday items often mirrored the spiritual lives of people. People lit lamps to illuminate their homes, guide their paths and keep darkness away. Lighting a lamp was a sacred act in many households – especially before Sabbath or during worship. The light served as a reminder of God guiding the wilderness journey of his people with a pillar of fire and that God had promised to send a light – the Light – into a world darkened by sin. It wasn’t just about seeing, but welcoming in the peace, safety and presence of God.

In the same way, Jesus calls us to be a presence in the world that offers a guiding light to him, welcoming the peace and presence of God into our surroundings.

Lord Jesus, let your light shine through us today, so that others may see hope and give glory to you. Amen.

Anita Foster lives in Melbourne’s outer east with her husband and three teen and tween daughters. She is the Director of Faith and Formation at Luther College in Croydon, and she loves teaching, theatre, being in nature and finding new ways to express her creativity.

God is at work through us

by Josh Hauser

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They have distributed freely; they have given to the poor; their righteousness endures forever (Psalm 112:9a).

Read Psalm 112:1–9(10)

This week, we have been asking: Where is God at work?

God is at work in the waiting. God is at work in the giving. God is at work in the truth. God is at work in faithfulness. God is at work in hope.

And today, we see where all this leads. That God is at work through us.

Psalm 112 sits alongside Psalm 111 in the Scriptures. Psalm 111 describes who God is: gracious, compassionate, righteous, faithful. Psalm 112 describes the person who fears God. And the words are almost identical.

God is gracious and compassionate (Psalm 111:4). The one who fears God is gracious and compassionate (Psalm 112:4).

God’s righteousness endures forever (Psalm 111:3). The righteousness of the one who fears God endures forever (Psalm 112:3,9).

Do you see what is happening? The person who walks with God begins to look like God. What God is, we become. What God does, we do.

‘Good will come to the one who is generous and lends freely, who conducts their affairs with justice’ (Psalm 112:5).

‘They have distributed freely; they have given to the poor; their righteousness endures forever’ (Psalm 112:9).

God gives freely to those with empty hands (Isaiah 55). And those who receive from God become people who give freely to others. God’s work flows through us.

This is where the week has been leading. God is at work in the waiting, and we learn to wait with others. God is at work in the giving, and we become God’s givers. God is at work in the truth, and we speak God’s truth. God is at work in faithfulness, and we stand with God alongside those who are struggling. God is at work in hope, and we hold out God’s hope to those in despair.

God is at work. And God is at work through us.

We are not the source. We are the overflow. What we have received, we pass on. What has been given to us, we give to others.

Therefore, let us be gracious, because God has been gracious to us. Let us be compassionate, because God has shown us compassion. Let us give freely, because we have received freely.

God is at work. Through us.

Dear God, thank you for all the ways you are at work. Thank you for meeting us in the waiting, the giving, the truth, the faithfulness and the hope. Now work through us. Make us generous, compassionate, and just. Use us to bring your love to others. Amen.