NOTES for Luk 8:16-25
The words that nothing will remain hidden are often recalled as a stern warning that any evil done in secret will sooner or later come to light. Yes, this is so; it is a great truth, and we have witnessed it many times. But here the subject is light that cannot be concealed. This means that the many good deeds done continually will also become visible—deeds so familiar that they go unnoticed by those accustomed to paying most attention to loud and sensational events. But a day will pass, perhaps a few days, the inflated sensations will evaporate, and the unnoticed good will remain.
The episode in which Jesus declined to meet His Mother and brothers may seem troubling: one might conclude that He is openly breaking the commandment to honour one's parents. Yet a careful reading is enough to see that this is not so, for He called those who hear and carry out the word of God His mother and brothers. And who, if not Mary, received it and fulfilled it completely?
The behaviour of Christ's disciples during the storm on the lake is entirely natural. Yet after calming the storm, He reproached them: ‘Where is your faith?’ Here lies the difficulty: too deeply ingrained in us is the reflex that tells us everyday life exists on its own, while faith is a kind of Sunday seasoning added to our ordinary existence.
But if faith is genuine, it cannot fail to become the core that shapes a person. Then the usual reactions fall away, and what remains is a firm bond with Christ, who gives calm steadfastness amid every anxiety and storm.