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“What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.”
Luke 12:3 NIV
These words of Jesus were spoken to His disciples, while a large “crowd of many thousands” that was so out of control that “they were trampling on one another” gathered nearby (Luke 12:1). He’s warning the disciples to not be hypocrites like the Pharisees, the religious leaders of the time who made public displays of their “righteousness” while not doing what God was demanding of them.
His warning “What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight” explains that although the Pharisees are making a good show of how holy and righteous they are, their secret discussions and hidden bad conduct are fully known before the omniscient God. He’s exposing just how hypocritical the Pharisees are, and teaching His disciples to live without that sort of deception since God sees the true motivation behind every action and judges accordingly.
In His perfect justice, God will eventually reveal those concealed matters one way or another. We see this repeated in 1 Corinthians 4:5:
“Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.”
The Pharisees met in groups in secluded and private meeting rooms, and counseled each other in other non-public places, plotting for higher positions in the hierarchy and seeking to punish those who upset their authority or didn’t follow their complex (and unnecessary) religious rules to the letter. Jesus points out in the next part of the verse — “what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.” — that even the most secret meeting place is wide open to the presence of God.
Trying to hide sin, cover up hostility, or pretending to believe while remaining distant from God does not work — He knows what is in our hearts and minds. Hebrews 4:13 describes this well:
“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”
In Biblical times, the flat roofs of buildings in towns and cities were visible places where announcements could be made and heard. This would have been familiar to the disciples, and the words of Jesus show that the hypocrisy and hidden evils of the Pharisees will eventually be exposed to the world.
Trying to keep sinful and hypocritical actions hidden from God never works, but the opposite is also true — faithfulness does not need to be publicly displayed to gain God’s approval. Christians should strive to live transparently, speak truth fearlessly, and trust the Lord to both reveal and reward what is done in His name.
Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:
Father in Heaven, Help me to always speak with integrity and truth, even in the private places where I remain unseen. May the words that I speak be pure and honorable, always bringing glory to Your name. Grant me courage to stand up for what is right in Your eyes, even when that may be difficult and unpopular. Forgive me for my past words spoken in secret that were not pleasing to You, and train my tongue to speak words that reflect Your love and grace. AMEN.