1. Consider how you listen (16-18)

Jesus himself is the lamp on the stand. He did not come to hide anything, but to proclaim the kingdom of God, most of all through his death and resurrection. Anyone can receive the light of life from Jesus. But whether we receive it or not depends on how we hear. If we don't have an attitude to take the word of God in our hearts by faith and practice it, even the understanding we thought we had will be taken away.

2. Those who hear and obey (19-21)

When the crowds were crowding around Jesus, Jesus' mother and brothers tried to call him out for their own purpose. But Jesus taught that merely being related to someone humanly does not give us access to the kingdom. It requires hearing the word of God and putting it into practice. If we do this, Jesus will call us his true mother and brothers.