WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH THE GOSPEL? PARABLES OF PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY (MARK 4:21-25)

Jesus uses two brief parables to illustrate our personal responsibility to receive and act on the word of God that is spoken to them. These two images carry powerful illustrations on how we should initially receive the truth of God’s word and how we should continue in the word once we have heard it.

“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 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” (Mk 4:21-25). 

The Parable of the Lamp (4:21-23).

Palestinian homes were lit with oil lamps. These lamps were filled with oil and had floating wicks. The walls of these homes were made with ledges that acted as ‘lamp stands’. These homes had only small windows and were dark even during the day. So these lamps often burned all day and had to be maintained often.

Jesus asks, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not on a stand?” (v.21). 

It would be ridiculous to hide a lamp under a basket or bed, it must be put up on a stand so that others might see. Jesus is making a point—all who have understanding, who have the word of God have the responsibility to shine the light where others might see it too.

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Mt 5:14-16)

How do we let others see the light? By our good works! Our good works in our families, our workplaces, schools, and neighborhoods!

It is important to realize that you are not the Holy Spirit—You are an example! Your job is not to shine a light on the sin in unbeliever’s life—like an interrogation! That is the Holy Spirit’s job. Your job is to be a light by doing good works!

What are these good works? Living rightly with those at school. Serving others at work. Showing compassion and mercy towards your neighbors. Forgiving family members when they don’t deserve it.

Jesus said, “For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light”(v. 22). 

Jesus taught in parables that only his followers were given to understand—but soon all that was revealed to them in private, would be made known through them to the world in public.

“It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth” (Isa 49:6).

“The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of man, but of God” (Jn 1:9-13).

Light exposes darkness! Everything that man wants to hide, is exposed when the light of the word of God is manifested. Every hard heart is made plain! Every sin is exposed! Guilt is felt! Without the light shining into our lives, we would be perfectly comfortable with our hard hearts, sin and guilt. Even though it turns our hearts to stone—we would no likely change!

In the end, when Jesus returns, the light will be made manifest and everything will be exposed!

We live in the age of Thomas Edison. Last Sunday, when the prayer team entered the classroom, Bob Hunter turned and asked where the light switch was. Teasingly, I said there was no switch on this side of the room…He had to walk blindly to the other side of the room and feel his way to the switch. Edison sure has made thing convenient.

We cannot just go and turn on the switch when we feel like it is ‘God time’ and then go and turn it off when we feel it is our time. Hearts don’t work like that! When we dwell in darkness, our hearts turn to stone. That’s why sin is always referred to as death in the Bible. Our hearts are more like an oil lamp. They must be continually filled with the oil of the Holy Spirit through the word, prayer and fellowship. They must be continually lit and maintained if they are to keep burning for the Lord. That is where the next parable come in.

The Parable of the Measure (4:24-25).

When you buy foods such as flour or oil at the grocery store, it usually comes prepackaged in sealed bags or boxes. However, in Jesus’ era, merchants would ‘measure’ out their goods by hand for the customer. These were referred to simply as the ‘measure’. A merchant could be honest, and even generous, or he could be stingy or even dishonest in his measure.

In this parable, the ‘measure’ refers to our attitude in receiving or rejecting the word of God. 

Will we continue to embrace the word of God? Or, will we eventually let it fade into all the other noise around us? This parable reveals two truths about the economy of the kingdom:

1. ‘With the measure you use, it will measured to you, and still more will be measured to you’(v.24) 

If the believer will receive the word and embrace to such a point that he increasingly applies it to more and more of his life, he will ever find an everlasting supply of abundant life. This is the person who when learning about the Kingdom of God, wants more of the kingdom of God. What is the kingdom? It is God’s rule and his presence. The Holy Spirit will take up residence in his heart.  He will bear fruit—thirtyfold, sixtyfold and even a hundredfold. 

2. ‘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”(v. 25)

The hard truth of the economy of the kingdom is that for those do not have the word will lose what they have. Some will reject the word right away, others will receive it with gladness but let it slowly fade. Both decide that they would rather rely on themselves or on Jesus as revealed in the word. They want to rule themselves rather than be ruled by God.

But there is a problem with this thinking. Everyone in the world is a recipient of God’s grace. Even unbelievers benefit from his grace in the world—this is called Gods ‘general grace’. It is the grace that is the result of God’s presence in the world. But God can and will remove it from anyone who will not receive his word when it has been given to them.

The Parable of the measure is similar to the Parable of the Talents (Mt 25:13-30). 

In this parable, the master is going away on a journey, and he entrust his servant with his property. He leaves each of his three servants talents according to his ability. The servant who given five talents made five more through his trading, and servant who given two talents traded up for two more. But the one who had received one talent dug a hole and hid his one talent to keep it safe.

When the master returned, he called his servant to settle accounts. To the servant who was given five talents and made five more, and the servant who was given two talents and made two more he said,

“Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter in the joy of your master” (Mt 25:21,23)

But to the one who had buried his one talent and profited nothing he said,

“You wicked and slothful servant!...  Take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Mt 25:26, 28-30).

It is important to realize that this “Your Best Life Now” Christianity is a sham! It is not about you! Its all about Jesus! We have been given the word of God to show us the light of God in Christ! And the word of God has been sowed among us! God desires fruit in our lives! Fruit gives way to seed—it multiplies! This is the best life—Living for Christ and making him known!

May we all accept warnings of Jesus revealed here today! And may we also be encouraged to know that when we continually take that which we are given: The seed of Gods word, our talents, our spiritual gifts, our resources of time, effort and finances and use them to make Jesus know in our desert communities, God will take our small efforts and increase them beyond our own abilities and opportunities.

God will multiply His harvest through us thirtyfold, sixtyfold, and even a hundredfold!