The Parable of the Lamp

Introduction -

Mark 4:21-25

The Parables of Christ Pt. 3

The Parable of the Lamp

Our now third week into Christ’s parables in Mark – we find a parable that – when read – it is tempting to think it’s the same as other parables recorded in other synoptic gospels but Mark includes Jesus’ using the parable of the Lamp in a unique way.

As we work through the parables – the theme of distinguishing genuine followers of Christ is prevalent throughout all of them.

In this parable – we find Christ is speaking to his hearers reminding them that following him isn’t just an intellectual exercise – it’s a new life lived in the presence of Christ who is the light of life.

Martin Luther, the author of the 95 Theses was a catholic monk teaching the Scriptures in Germany. He was plagued by his conscience – his knowledge of his own sin and the depths of it was paralyzing. Luther wrote about his conversion this way –

“Though I lived as a monk without reproach, I felt that I was a sinner before God with an extremely disturbed conscience. I could not believe that he was placated by my satisfaction. I did not love, yes, I hated the righteous God who punishes sinners, and secretly, if not blasphemously, certainly murmuring greatly, I was angry with God, and said, As if, indeed, it is not enough, that miserable sinners, eternally lost through original sin, are crushed by every kind of calamity by the law of the decalogue, without having God add pain to pain by the gospel and also by the gospel threatening us with his righteousness and wrath!” Thus I raged with a fierce and troubled conscience. Nevertheless, I beat importunately upon Paul at that place, most ardently desiring to know what St. Paul wanted. At last, by the mercy of God, meditating day and night, I gave heed to the context of the words, namely, “In it the righteousness of God is revealed, as it is written, ‘He who through faith is righteous shall live.’” There I began to understand that the righteousness of God is that by which the righteous lives by a gift of God, namely by faith. And this is the meaning: the righteousness of God is revealed by the gospel, namely, the passive righteousness with which merciful God justifies us by faith, as it is written, “He who through faith is righteous shall live.” Here I felt that I was altogether born again and had entered paradise itself through open gates. There a totally other face of the entire Scripture showed itself to me.”[1]

You see in Luther’s story the change from darkness to light – from anger and pangs of conscience to a knowledge of Christ through the gospel of justification by grace through faith in Christ.

And what was the immediate response of Luther? What was the immediate effect this genuine conversion had upon him? “There a totally other face of the entire Scripture showed itself to me.”

It changed his perspective, and he immediately changed the way he lived. It changed the way he saw the Scriptures – and thus Luther began his journey in a true understanding of the word. We’ll come back to Luther as an example of this – because this is what Christ is teaching us about in the parable of the Lamp.

The main point of the Parable of the Lamp is to illustrate to the believer the purpose and effects of the coming of Christ to indwell us through the Holy Spirit when we receive him by faith.

So lets dive into our parable and we’ll come back to Luther’s story.

[1] https://www.ligonier.org/blog/story-martin-luthers-conversion/

1. The Lamp v.21-22

The temptation to assume that Jesus is saying the same thing here as in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:15) where he also uses a lamp as an illustration.

This parable - context is different.

The Greek gives a different picture