THE PARABLE OF THE CANDLE

 A preacher spoke to a woman about Jesus.  But she did not accept his words.  The preacher proceeded to berate the woman.  He told her about eternal punishment in hell if she did not accept Jesus.  He accused her of hating God and turning away from the light.

 The Gadfly said, “Preacher, perhaps you should stop talking about Jesus.  For it is light that dispels darkness, not demeaning words.  Neither do words about eternal torture say anything meaningful or truthful.” 

 The preacher became angry and said, "How can you say these things?  The people in the world love sin not God.  They need Jesus to save them." 

 The Gadfly said, "Do you really believe that people love sin?  It is like a woman who lives in a house with no windows.  She stumbles around the house in complete darkness.  One day she finds a match and a candle.  When she lights the candle, a beautiful light fills the house.  And though she was blind before, now she can see.  You know that if you set a lit candle out in the light of day, even the flame will cast a shadow upon the ground.  And what was light has become darkness.  But to the one, who lives in darkness, even the light of a candle is a saving light.  She loves the candle not for its shadow, but for its light.  Let your love be like the sun, whose greater glory transforms her sin from light to darkness.  If your love cannot give people a greater light than their own transgressions, then how great is your darkness?  Have you not heard preacher?  It has been said, ‘No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the basket, but on the lamp stand and it gives light to all in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others.’  You have placed your light under a basket you call Jesus.” 

 The preacher cried out, "Jesus is my light!" 

 The Gadfly replied, "Jesus is a voice calling you from your darkness.  But only your love is the light you have to give.  And when your devotion to Christ makes void the love in your heart, is this not to worship a false God?”