More Will Be Added
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21 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? 22 For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light. 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” 24 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. 25 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.”
*21 Καὶ ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς·* ⸆ μήτι ⸀ἔρχεται ὁ λύχνος ἵνα ὑπὸ τὸν μόδιον τεθῇ ἢ ὑπὸ τὴν κλίνην; οὐχ ἵνα ⸁ἐπὶ τὴν λυχνίαν τεθῇ; *22 οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ⸆ κρυπτὸν ἐὰν μὴ ἵνα φανερωθῇ, οὐδὲ ἐγένετο ἀπόκρυφον ἀλλʼ ἵνα ἔλθῃ εἰς φανερόν. *23 εἴ τις ἔχει ὦτα ἀκούειν ἀκουέτω.* 24 ✽ Καὶ ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς· βλέπετε τί ἀκούετε. ἐν ᾧ μέτρῳ μετρεῖτε μετρηθήσεται ὑμῖν ⸋καὶ προστεθήσεται ὑμῖν⸆⸌.* *25 ὃς γὰρ ἔχει, δοθήσεται αὐτῷ· καὶ ὃς οὐκ ἔχει, καὶ ὃ ἔχει ἀρθήσεται ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ.
OPENING REMARKS
Last time around we looked at verses 1-20 in this fourth chapter; Jesus telling the parable of the sower. He told this parable while standing in a boat which had been put out into the water a little. He ends the teaching with this statement found in verse 9 ‘He who has ears let Him hear.’ We find almost the same charge again in verse 23.
Some have understood verses 21 to 25 to be part of Jesus’s sermon preached from the boat; a continuation of the parable of the sower. Though what Jesus is saying here seems a little disconnected to the parable of the 4 soils.
Some have thought that these particular sayings were a set of famous sayings of Jesus which Mark just decides to insert at this point.
But if we follow Mark’s flow closely we see that Mark hasn’t just randomly added these sayings at this point, nor is Jesus preaching this to the crowds. But rather He is alone with His disciples at this point; He is speaking just to them.
The parallel passage in Luke backs this understanding up.
So what does this all have to do with how we understand the words of Christ Jesus here?
Well, as we’ve said before context is king when interpreting scripture. When we read verses in their actual context we’ve got a far better chance of understanding what they really mean.
For example it’s very common to hear a preacher say; the Bible says the devil comes to steal, kill and destroy. However the passage they are referencing in John 10:10 “10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
the passage where Jesus identifies Himself as the Good Shepherd makes no mention of the devil. Rather the thief of John 10 is properly identified as the Pharisees, and any false leaders of God’s people.
So by knowing that Jesus isn’t teaching the crowds here but rather is continuing a conversation He is having with the disciples helps us grasp the true thrust of what is being said here.
THE LAMP
So what is the lamp that is brought in? What is The Lord referring to through this metaphor?
Well, a lamp in those days would have been a simple handheld receptical with some oil in it, and there would be a wick which would soak up the oil and then you could light it and put it on a lamp stand and it would give light. Of course it’s purpose was to give light in darkness so that whoever was near it could see.
Light, as a concept, in the Bible is a commonly used metaphor for understanding, for revelation. In John 1 , Jesus is the true light which gives light to every man coming into the world. David in Psalm 119:130 says “130 The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.” And again in Psalm 119:105 “105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
So what is the lamp here? It’s understanding, fresh revelation, insight, a new state of comprehension.
Now, we know that Jesus is speaking here to His disciples, not the crowds. He’s talking to those on the inside, those to whom He has just explained the parable He taught to the crowd? What revelation do they have that the crowds did not?
Mark 4:10-12
10 And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. 11 And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, 12 so that
“ ‘they may indeed see but not perceive,
and may indeed hear but not understand,
lest they should turn and be forgiven.’ ”
They have been given the secret of the Kingdom of God. This is the lamp Jesus is talking about, this is the light which He he gives to all those who are His, the unfolding dawn of revelation which gives light to the soul. It is the Gospel of the Kingdom of God; the revelation of God’s plan of redemption and of the King who rules it all; Jesus Christ.
So what is Christ saying here to His disciples; well, very simply the mystery which has been revealed to you is not supposed to remain a mystery! It’s not something for you to conceal or hold on to; He’s saying, the light has come in not just for your benefit but for the benefit of those around you.
That’s why we go out on the streets on Thursdays, because the light we’ve received is meant to be put somewhere where others can see it.
1 Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
2 For behold, darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you,
and his glory will be seen upon you.
3 And nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your rising.
We let the light of the gospel shine now because of what Jesus promises; there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light.
What will not remain hidden? What will come to light?
Firstly, the truth about Christ will not remain hidden for eternity. It will come to light. That light will be a most dreadful one on the day of judgement for those who denied Him while they lived. They will see Him sat in all His glory and splendour, the one who they mocked and scorned, ready to judge them.
Secondly, on that day all the things which sinful human beings believe they can hide from God will be revealed on that day. To those who thought the darkness had hidden their secret affairs and devious schemes from God, every skeleton hidden in every closet will be outed. An account for every secret sin will be reckoned. The light on that day will expose everything.
So let’s preach the light of the Kingdom of God now, let’s not let anyone go unwarned out of this world.
IF ANYONE HAS EARS TO HEAR...
Jesus teaches us never to be discouraged from sharing the gospel as a result of rejection. If Jesus Himself experienced rejection while preaching the Kingdom then so will you.
He said, he who has ears to hear, let him hear. The implication is that there are some who do not have ears to hear. Not everyone you share the gospel with will have been furnished with ‘ears to hear’ and so therefore they cannot understand what you are telling them.
john 10:23-29
23 and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. 24 So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.
Just as some don’t have ears to hear, some do. Who have been given ears to hear? Christ’s sheep. And what do they do? They hear Him and will follow Him.
Understanding the kingdom of God is not a human ability but a capacity created by Jesus Christ within the heart of the believer - James Edwards
So just as it’s certain that some will reject the gospel because they have no ears to hear, it’s also certain that some will receive it because they belong to Christ’s flock. This gives me confidence when I evangelise! The results of any witnessing that I do are in His hands, not mine.
PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT YOU HEAR...
I never liked maths at school, and as such I was dreadfully lazy in class! I’d sit through the lessons making faces at my mates sat across the classroom, day dreaming about playing football at lunch break. I remember once being given some homework to do and finding it brutally hard! The next day I checked my answers with the girl sat next to me and hers were different to mine. It turned out I’d not been listening and had missed the formula that would have made sense of the homework for me. We both sat in the same lesson, we both received the same teaching her only advantage over me was that she had been paying attention and I hadn’t!
How much more should we apply the moral of that story to scripture. Sure, we might open our Bibles each day, we come to church listen to the sermon, but are we paying attention to what we’re hearing, are we taking heed of what we’re reading?
Jesus says that the measure to which we pay attention will be the measure to which our understanding will be increased.
“The scriptures do not disclose their riches to lazy minds and hearts.” Sinclair Ferguson
The question is are we hungry? Are we hungry to know more of Him, to understand more about Him to be closer to Him?
FOR WHOEVER HAS MORE WILL BE GIVEN...
I remember years back having someone come to see me to complain about a particular series we had been teaching through at church. They said ‘the problem is, I already understand this subject of the Fatherhood of God. I know it, I’ve got it, it’s getting repetitve and sort of boring.’ Granted, as a church you shouldn’t just hammer one particular portion of the revelation of God but equally, is it possible for one finite man to ever fully ‘get’ the full revelation of the fatherhood of God? No! That young man was counting himself out of receiving more, he’d decided he’d had enough already! This is why not every Christian walks in the same level of understanding, not every Christian has the same conception of the truth as revealed in scripture. Why? Well, one reason is that some Christians think they already know enough. Christ says there is always more!
Here’s the beauty of what Christ is saying here; if you’re stuck in a bit of a rut, if you’re sort of going through the motions as a Christian, maybe thinking that the best days are behind you , He says THERE IS MORE. More depth, more power, more intimacy, more knowledge, more truth, more love, more supernatural encounters with Him. Do you want more? Are you stuck in a bit of a rut? There is more for you! If you will but open your ears, open your heart, increase the current measure of your hearing, deep calls to deep this afternoon. I want more of Him!