Responding to the Teaching of Jesus. Mark 4:21-25.
And he said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not on a stand? “For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light. “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. “For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”
Dear People of God,
Jesus makes it clear in this passage that there is no room for one to be neutral or indifferent about his teaching. One is either for or against Jesus. Neutrality will be considered opposition.
Expectations (vv. 21-22). Jesus uses the illustration of a lamp. The purpose of a lamp is to give light, so it makes no sense to hide it under a basket or bed. The sensible thing is to put it on a stand, where it shines on everything and everyone. Likewise, the teaching of Jesus is light. Once we understand the message, we become a lamp. Even an attempt to keep our faith secret will fail, because everything will be brought to light.
Extent (vv. 23-24). This is the second time Jesus is calling on the people to hear (see v. 9). He says that our response to his message will provoke an equal response from God, and then more. A person who hears and obeys the word will receive a reward that is greater than the measure of his obedience.
Extremes (v. 25). But while obedience will yield a boon, ignoring the message will result in loss. The person will be left with nothing, because even what he has will be taken from him. This is a warning to those who stand on the fence. Jesus is saying that that amounts to the opposition, so any vestige of inquiry about faith in such a person will be taken away. Make a choice to stand for Jesus and do it with everything you’ve got.
Your Loving Pastor Chris.