Some of the saying of Jesus are surprisingly dark, when we try to read them with fresh eyes.
For instance, in Luke 8:17 he says, 'No-one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so everyone can see the light.'
We might hear that with echoes of songs about candles shining in small corners, and think about how important it is to witness to our faith. But he goes on: 'For there is nothing hidden that won't be disclosed, and nothing concealed that won't be made known.'
So it's more like a warning, or a threat, than it is a word of encouragement. Jesus himself is the light, the light of the world; he lights up all the dark corners, the secret things that we'd prefer to keep hidden.
Nowadays we have real problems with privacy. There are CCTV cameras everywhere we look. There's more electronic information around than ever before. Facebook knows everything about us and directs its advertising accordingly. We worry about online safety.
At the same time the internet's opened up a world of temptation that can be completely private; we can live second lives online, and no-one in the real world needs to know.
So Jesus's words are troubling, in at least two ways. One is that we're challenged to live with personal integrity, so that when the light shines and reveals everything in our lives, there's nothing that we don't want to be seen.
The other is that we're challenged to developed an honesty with other people, about our faults and failures. We don't have to be indiscriminately open; that doesn't help anyone; but relationships of trust are the best way of keeping the dark at bay.
'For there is nothing hidden that won't be disclosed, and nothing concealed that won't be made known.'
Follow Mark Woods on Twitter: @RevMarkWoods
