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READ: Mark 4:21
CHALLENGE: Make a Difference
Mark 4:21-25 – He said to them, “Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don’t you put it on its stand? 22 For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear.” 24 “Consider carefully what you hear,” he continued. “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and even more. 25 Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.”
As you read this section, it seems the verses are a hodgepodge put together. However, the same run of verses is found in Luke 8 as well. This is a part of fruit bearing in life. You need to be a light, be generous, and be responsible with what God has given to you.
- BE A LIGHT
This is a simple question. Do you bring a lamp and put it under a bed? Under a heavy container? No! You put it on a stand. Why? Why do we have lights on the ceiling? Why do they mount them on the wall? The higher the light the more it illuminates which is the purpose of light. This stand that holds the lamp gives it the best opportunity to beam light in every direction. And general lights apart from headlights and flashlights send light everywhere.
The sun does too, right? No matter where we are in our yearly orbit around the sun, the earth gets light from it. Every day, we’re at a different part of the sun as we rotate around it, right? In one year, the earth will travel 584 million miles through space, moving at a speed of 67,000 miles per hour. But no matter what our position around the sun, there is always light.
Light serves to illuminate and help us to see things. Dark spaces need light. Dark roads need the illumination of our headlights. This natural analogy helps us better understand spiritual light.
Spiritual light such as Jesus and God’s word and good deeds are designed to illuminate.
- Jesus is a Light.
John 8:12 – When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Jesus is the light of the world. And that’s a light that cannot be hidden and has a profound sun like impact on the spiritual landscape. There is no one more important than Christ because there is no other bridge into eternity. God put Jesus as a light and this light changes everything.
Acts 26:17-18 – I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them 18 to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’
Paul was working to turn people from darkness to light. From operating in the power of Satan’s gloom into the light of God’s power. Here is forgiveness and dramatic life change.
There’s a big difference between light and darkness. I’d much rather have the light of summer than the dark of winter. I don’t mind the cold – that’s fun. The dark, bleh. You’re in your house and it’s 6:30p and you think you should be headed for bed! The absence of light is dreadful.
Even a child instinctively knows they don’t like the dark. We’ve all run up the stairs out of a dark basement as if some invisible hand was trying to grab us. Children like night lights and dislike dark rooms. The same is true spiritually. Light beats the dark.
Spiritual light is beautiful and life changing. We don’t want to hide the panacea of Jesus but rather, freely broadcast this incredible power to overcome the bad decisions made in the darkness of our own souls. To overcome the darkness of hatred, lust, greed, envy, pride, bitterness, resentment, anger, addiction, porn, etc. Jesus beckons us out of that, into His light.
An important component of light is hope. When you’re down, despairing, discouraged, depressed, and sour, you need the hope of a better day. You need to know there’s a power beyond you that can lift you up and out. Christ can illuminate your world.
- The Word of God is a light.
Psalm 119:105 – Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.
God’s word is a light so that I can see. It’s like a flashlight or a head lamp that’s designed to light up the path so that we don’t stumble or walk into a tree. Reading the Bible is truly one of the great lights we have. And the Holy Spirit will use truth to light the way. John 16:13 – But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.
The Holy Spirit points things out and helps us to understand the Word. Remember light is about illumination and the Holy Spirit helps illuminate life and decisions. He’ll bring conviction and help.
I was pointed to a lot of light as a child. My dad started going to church and they were faithful to teach us about Jesus Christ. This is clearly the most important person to ever walk the earth. And I learned that he died for my sins. I learned that there are eternal destinations and one sounded great and the other sounded awful. There was the reality of heaven and hell.
But there was one day the light truly came on in my mind. As my mind confronted 2 realities, I wanted heaven. And that’s really when God turned on the light and showed me the way. So, I believed in Jesus Christ then.
The light of Christ and the word with the illumination of the Holy Spirit were powerful and very effective to draw me. So Christ is vital. The Bible is crucial.
- Your Testimony is a Light
Matthew 5:16 – In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Let your light shine so people can see your good deeds and glorify God. The good things you do for others can help illuminate this dark world. You’re like a city on a hill that cannot be hidden. You’re the Bible. You’re the message that Eagleville preaches. You’re a tutorial on how lives can change. Let’s think of our Celebrate Recovery ministry. Those who have overcome addiction are a light to others searching that same freedom. How did you do it?
When back east, I was talking about some of the things our church has done to help others. A man said that he wished more would help others and he doesn’t see enough of it. It’s a chance to shine a light to those who need positive examples.
And when we’re shining a light, the glory goes to God and not us. If we’re existing to put the spotlight on ourselves that’s not helping the world. Look at me, look at me, isn’t powerful. Good deeds done through God and for God make it a powerful light.
Your testimony and life are a light for others to see and that’s powerful in and of itself. You are a light and perhaps that’s what God will use when He’s drawing someone closer to Himself.
V22 – For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open.
This seems very counter intuitive to me. If I hide something, I don’t want you to find it. That’s the reason I hid it. A person has thoughts in their heads and it’s wise at times to conceal them. Correct? I think a lot of things and that mess doesn’t need to be disclosed. However, in the context of not hiding the light. The light of Jesus is meant to shine. And this light illuminates.
John 3:19-21 – This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.
Jesus told us that people love the dark because they don’t want their favorite sins outted. And those who do evil HATE the light. Why? It illuminates that what they are doing is wrong.
This is a fact – go work hard with a group that doesn’t want to. Your work ethic is going to expose their lack of one. The light hates the truth that challenges dark lies.
Look at the light shining on the negative health impacts of dyes. All of a sudden, they’re getting pitched out of food. Why? Illumination of facts leads to change.
Thus, a light does not CONCEAL – it REVEALS. And this is important because it will put a spotlight on evil.
Ephesians 5:8-14 – For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. 14 This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
This is an amazing passage. We don’t engage in fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather we expose them. Everything exposed by the light becomes visible. Wake up sleeper! Your life is a light that exposes and sometimes people hate it but it’s much needed.
Your testimony of love and honesty and faithfulness in marriage and morality and hard work is much needed in a lost world.
V24 – “Consider carefully what you hear,” he continued.
He says to be cautious about what you hear. And we could certainly say that we must reflect on the words of Jesus Christ. What are you reading in the Word? What are you hearing in Bible study? Process it and make it part of you. So perhaps we could say, think deeply about what you’re learning. Don’t dismiss it.
In addition, I’d think carefully about who I listen to. What kind of information is illuminating your world? You could listen to a bunch of information that says you’re OK when you’re not OK. Or people might cheer you on in doing things that are unbiblical. There are plenty of lunchroom counselors and they love keeping you right there along with them. And if they are unhappy, they may give you the advice that keeps you right in their sphere of misery as well. If they have been divorced they may tell you to get a divorce.
There’s also plenty of gossip and there’s no point listening to that because it’s nonsense. There is nonsense out there in the community and you don’t need to listen to it. Psalm one says we should meditate on God’s word day and night. Day and night. Don’t be sitting in the seat of scorners.
Jesus, the Word, your testimony are all part of God’s illuminating a dark world. Don’t hide it!
- BE GENEROUS
V22b … he continued. “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and even more. This is a general concept that can impact judgment and it can impact generosity as well. With the measure you use, it will be measured to you. You’re going to get what you give.
Hey, I need some sugar. OK. Here’s a teaspoon for you. That’s one response. Another might be, here’s 4 cups or here’s the entire bag. With the measure you use, it will be used for you. If you’re stingy with God, He will be stingy with you. Perhaps someone needs your ear. Here’s 30 seconds worth of listening to your problem. Or there is someone who will truly hear what you’re saying.
If you want generosity, give generosity. This concept is also used in judging. If you judge, you’ll be judged. If you lack mercy, you’ll be shown no mercy. It’s similar to when Jesus says that those who don’t forgive won’t be forgiven.
If you’re nitpicky, you are going to get nitpicked. If you’re generous, you’ll receive. It’s very close to the principle of sowing and reaping. You get what you give.
I’d rather err on the side of generosity. I sold an old plane. The buyer complained that the blade was from a different company. OK, like I would know that. He asked for a partial refund. I gave him half of his money back because I’d rather go over his expectations than under.
When you’re generous and gracious, you’ll experience the same treatment from others as well.
- BE RESPONSIBLE
V25 – Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.”
On the surface, it’s another counter intuitive saying that seems wildly unfair. You don’t take from those who have less and give it to a person who has more. Right? That’s just cold. I mean, wouldn’t this be like favoring billionaires over the little guy? In our country, we tax the rich, redistribute it to the less fortunate, and feel good about it. That’s common thinking.
So, on the surface, many would give a thumbs down to this statement. Those who already have get even more and the people with less lose even the less that they have. Stunning, stunning statement.
However, as we dig deeper and ponder what’s really going on here, we will find ourselves agreeing with it completely. Jesus told a story and said, the one who has will be given more and the one with less loses what they have. And it’s fair.
A boss was giving money to his employees to invest while he was away. He wants his money working for him. Now each servant had their own abilities and some were more gifted in handling money than others. He entrusted each according to their ability. So, imagine one person was given $100,000 to re-invest. Another was handed $50,000. A third was handed $10,000. As the story unfolds. The servant with 100,000 dollars turned it into $200,000. The boss was pleased and said that he had done well. The guy with $50,000 doubled it to $100,000. He was commended. The one with $10,000, had the least. What did he do? He buried it and handed back only what he received. He basically stashed it in the gun safe, so to speak, and did nothing with it. The boss was not happy because he was supposed to be investing it. The boss took it away from him and gave it to the guy who had more.
Now that you hear THAT story, is it still unfair? Is it unfair that a man who was irresponsible and lazy and refused to use what he had been given, had that taken away? Absolutely not!
Matthew 25:28 – “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Take the one bag and give it to the one with ten bags. What’s being rewarded here is hard work and responsibility. We should not reward laziness or those who refuse to use their talents for the benefit of others.
Can you imagine if Jesus takes from the man with the ten talents and gave half of it to the person doing nothing? That would be outrageous. That’s not real life! In the story, you keep what your earned but if you refuse to earn, you lose. Does this ring a bell in America where we’re constantly handing out things to people not earning things? That’s backwards. As one person said, we have a safety net for people, it’s not supposed to be a hammock!
The Bible teaches that those who are faithful in little things will be given bigger things. If you’re faithful with a few things, you’ll be faithful with more. This is a super relevant and important concept.
So if you have a small job and you’d like a bigger job. Do a good job with the few things that you have. If your job is sweeping the floor, then be the best floor sweeper you can be. My son told me that the President of the company he is working for started as an apprentice at the age of 17. He now runs the company. He earned his way up and that’s the way it should be! Earn everything you have. Let’s stop handing out things that weren’t earned. I do believe in grace, but I also believe in character.
Life isn’t fair but you can turn it more in your favor by doing the right thing and honoring God with your time and talents.
We’ll eventually need to replace our children’s worker with volunteers with children in the program. But that’s also part of bearing fruit. You get involved and you help out and it’s part of maturing in Christ. This is a way of earning spiritual rewards! You’ll have more by giving.
I appreciate those who orchestrated the marriage seminar.
So what will fruit look like in my life? I’ll be a light. I’ll be generous. I’ll be responsible.