This is a story rather than a biblical retelling. It is recorded that Antioch had street-lighting in the early centuries, so it’s not a big jump to assume there would have been a lamp lighter. It’s also assumed that people had started to scribble down the words of Jesus before the gospels were compiled. By attaching a face to this story, it makes it easier for children to relate to the central teaching it contains. It also highlights how God uses ordinary people and professions.
This retold version of the Bible passage is supplied for inspiration, feel free to omit or embellish to give it your personal voice.
Main Passage : Luke 11
Other passages: Luke 8:16-18, Matthew 5:14–15, Mark 4:21–25
Antioch was one of the first cities in the world to have street lights. Albas was a lanternarius, a man whose job was to light them. Every day he would fill the lamps with oil. Then, as the sun sank low in the sky, he would carry a flaming torch to light each and every one. Lighting the lamps meant that businesses could keep working after dark, that people could move about the city safely, and parties could be held with dancing and music in the evenings.
Albas liked his job, he was both nosy and a gossip. Travelling around, he spied in hidden places and heard all the cities secrets. One day, he heard that the preacher Paul was going to be teaching. It didn’t sound very exciting to Albas, but being nosy, he decided he’d go and see.
Albas had seen many parties and crowds, but he had never seen a crowd like this one. Everyone was mixed together. The rich and the poor, tradesmen and slaves, kids darted about and old women hugged soldiers like old friends. Merchants and beggars sat side by side. It was unlike any other party Albas had been to, it was all very confusing.
Paul stood up to one side of the room and started to tell them about Jesus. Albas thought he had heard the Jesus story already, the man who was also God, who died and came back to life. These people believed it was true. Paul told them about Jesus’ teaching. He pulled out a scroll where someone had written Jesus’s words, and read: “No one lights a lamp and puts it under a clay pot. A lamp is put on a lamp-stand, so everyone who comes into the house can see the light.”
Albas sat forward, he knew all about lamps. Because he had such a long stick with a flame on the end, people would pay him to come to light their lamps hung up high in the room or on a very tall stand.
“Your eyes are the lamp for your body.” Paul continued. “When your eyes are good, you have all the light you need. But when your eyes are bad, everything is dark. So be sure your light isn’t darkness.”
Albas paused, was his light really darkness. He carried a torch, but he spread darkness. Dark gossip and dark secrets. It was like Jesus had spoken the words just for him. Albas found himself standing up, he couldn’t stop himself shouting out “I’m know darkness. How do I get this light?”
Paul walked through the crowd to Albas and took his hand. It was like being held by something bright, Paul had a light about him that Albas had never seen. Albas didn’t understand, but he knew that he wanted that light too.
Albas joined the Christians and started to learn, and soon he was a different man, even people on the street noticed and asked him why he had changed. He spent his life bringing light to people not just with a torch but also with the messages of Jesus.
