WATCHING HOW WE HEAR – Mark 4:21-25

Posted by Pastor Greg Allen on February 22, 2015 under 2015 |

Message preached Sunday, February 22, 2015 from 4:21-25

Theme: It’s up to us to rightly ‘hear’ the ‘light of truth’ that God graciously provides in His word.

(Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are taken from The Holy Bible, New King James Version; copyright 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc.)

I hope you can see this clay lamp that I’m holding in my hand.

When I had the privilege of visiting Israel a few months ago, I was excited to hear that our tour group would be visiting some merchants’ shops along the way that dealt in ‘antiquities’ that were authenticated and available to the general public for purchase.  I was thrilled; and daydreamed about the prospect of actually owning an article of antiquity from the holy land that was several centuries old—perhaps something even from biblical times.  I even set a generous dollar amount in my mind.  I mean, how could I miss an opportunity like this?

The very first shop that we visited had a whole shelf filled with several of just the very type of thing that I was hoping that I could buy—ancient household oil lamps; some that were dated back to the first century.  I asked the owner if I may look at one in particular that just seemed to beckon to me; and he gladly brought it out to show me.  As he carefully held it in his hand and turned it around for me, I found myself falling in love.  And when he turned it over, I discovered to my surprise that it was much more than I could ever have hoped for.  Financially, I mean.  The spell of love was instantly broken.  I backed away from it, and thanked him for letting me have a look at it, and told him that … eh … I needed to think about things for a bit.  (Boy; that was for sure!)

Then, I went to the other side of the store to see if there was anything else—anything at all—that was beckoning a little better to me than that.  I dug around in a plastic bin until I found the lamp I’m now holding in my hand.  I paid $15 dollars for it; and it’s probably not really much older than the credit card I used to buy it.  But I like it an awful lot.  I bought it in Israel after all—in a town near Galilee; and I still had enough money left over to afford groceries after I got back home.

* * * * * * * * * *

Now; the reason I am showing this lamp to you today is because it was most likely the kind of lamp that the Lord Jesus was talking about in this morning’s passage.

Jesus had just finished speaking to a large crowd of people from a boat along the shores of the Sea of Galilee—not too far from where I bought this little lamp.  He had just told them the parable of the man who was sowing seeds—the parable in which the seeds fell on four different types of soil with four different types of results.  But after He told it, some people—along with His twelve apostles—found Him sitting alone, and came to Him privately to ask about what the parable meant.

He told them that to them—that is, to this small group of people who came to Him privately in order to gain a greater understanding—it had been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God.  But to everyone else—to “those who are outside”, as He called them—everything was given in parables.

Now; these individuals were proving something about themselves in the fact that they were coming to Him to learn more.  They were showing that their hearts were inclined to truly hear what Jesus taught, and to seek a fuller understanding of the things He said.  So, He explained the parable to this small group of followers.  And then, as Mark tells us in Mark 4:21-23, He went on to give them a further lesson about ‘knowing’ the mysteries of the kingdom:

Also He said to them, “Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed?  Is it not to be set on a lampstand?  For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light.  If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear” (Mark 4:21-23).

But that’s not all.  Mark goes on to write;

Then He said to them, “Take heed what you hear.  With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given.  For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him” (vv. 24-25).

These verses seem, at first glance, to be teaching two different things.  But I believe that—taken together—these two things are meant to teach us one very important lesson that the Lord would want us to know about the truths He set before us in His teaching.

I believe He would want us to know first of all that the things He taught us are divine revelations of truth from the Father concerning the realities of His kingdom.  And they are truths that are meant to be known and understood.  Even though our Lord deliberately spoke in parables that left some people pondering His meaning, they are nevertheless truths that can be known and understood—and by which we can have a saving faith—if we will but come to Him with a humble spirit and learn.  They are not truths that are meant to be kept hidden.  They are truths that are meant to be brought out into the light, and that are meant to be understood, and that we are meant to be saved by—all through a dependent relationship with Jesus Christ.

But though they are truths that are available to be heard, and that are meant to be understood, I believe the Lord would also want us to know that it’s our responsibility to hear them carefully, and to heed them in such a way as to gain the benefit.  The truths of His kingdom are proclaimed and made available to all who want to know them; but the fact that they are proclaimed to all doesn’t mean that the results are always the same.  If we do not listen to His revealed word, and hear the truth as we should, then we will not gain from what we have been given—and in fact, even what we think we have will be taken from us.  And the fault will be our own.

Together—even if it seems like a mix of metaphors—these verses teach us the important lesson that it is up to us to rightly ‘hear’ the ‘light of truth’ that God graciously provides in His word.

* * * * * * * * * *

Let’s look at these important words from our Lord a little more closely; and notice, first, how they show us that . . .

1.  THE LIGHT OF GOD’S TRUTH IS PUT ON DISPLAY TO BE SEEN (vv. 21-23).

Now; almost any house in ancient times would have had a lamp like the one I’m holding.  Perhaps some homes had several.  They were little containers of oil with a hole at the end through which a wick would extend.  And here in our passage this morning—because He had just gotten through speaking about sowing the seed of the word—I believe that Jesus is using a ‘lamp’ as a symbol of the ‘light’ of revealed truth from the Father.

Think with me for a moment about how ‘light’ is used symbolically in this way.  You could turn back with me to the Old Testament—to Psalm 119:105; and see where it says;

Your word is a lamp to my feet

And a light to my path (Psalm 119:105).

Whenever I think of that verse, I think back to the old days of movie theaters.  I’m just barely old enough to remember the days when, as you walked into a dark theater, an usher would walk with you with a flashlight in hand.  They would walk you down the aisle to your seat, and shine a light on the floor for your feet.  Those are the good ol’ days, eh?  Now, you have to stumble and crawl all over everyone to find your way to your seat; and even then, you can’t be entirely sure who your sitting next to until the lights come on!  But back then, the usher’s flashlight was a lamp to your feet and a light to your path.  And that’s what the word of God is to us in life.  It’s the light that shows us the right path for our feet—so that we don’t stumble in spiritual darkness, but go where God wants us to go, and walk in the paths He wants us to walk.

The light is also used as a symbol for a Person—the Lord Jesus Christ.  In the first few verses of John’s Gospel, we’re told this about the Lord Jesus;

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.   All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.  In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend [that is, 'overcome'] it” (John 1:1-5).

The Gospel writer John goes on to tell us, “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John” (v. 6); and here, he’s speaking of John the Baptist.  He writes;

This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.  He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.  That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world (vv. 7-9).

So; here’s another way that ‘light’ is used as a symbol.  It’s used to represent the coming of the Lord Jesus into the world—the Living Word of God.  I believe that is also meant to include the whole testimony about Jesus that is declared in the message of the gospel and explained to us in the Scriptures.  Jesus—and the good news of the gospel that proclaims Him—is the light of revelation from God that shines upon humankind in this dark and fallen world.

And there’s another sense in which light serves as a symbol, dear brothers and sisters in Christ; and that’s as a symbol of you and me.  In the Sermon on The Mount, Jesus told His devoted and faithful followers;

“You are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:14-16).

Jesus was the light of the world so long as He was in this world.  But now that He has returned to the Father, we—who have His life in us—are to shine as His lights.  I feel pretty sure that this is what Paul meant in Philippians 2; when he wrote,

Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life . . . (Philippians 2:14-16a).

So; light is a symbol in all of these respects—that is, of the written word of God; the Son of God who has come into the world, along with the gospel that proclaims Him; and even we ourselves who are His followers—who love Him, and obey Him, and hold forth that light to the people around us.  God shines His revealed truth in this dark world through these means—just as if a little household oil lamp is brought into a dark room.

And now; let’s go back to what Jesus said to us—as it’s recorded for us in our passage in Mark’s Gospel.  Jesus asks His followers;

“Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed?” (v. 21).

Do you notice how Jesus puts that?  It’s “brought”.  In the original language, He says that a lamp is “made to come”.  It’s not a light that we create for ourselves.  It’s light that God graciously brings into the world.  And just like an oil lamp, it’s not brought in only to be put under a basked and covered up.  The basket that Jesus speaks of is the small kind that was used to hold a certain quantity of dry grain—a peck measure.  If you put that over an oil lamp, it would cut-off the air supply and the flame would die out.  Nor is it meant to be put under the bed.  If you do that, not only would it dim the light for a while, but it would also cause the bed to catch fire!

No.  Instead, Jesus asks,

“Is it not to be set on a lampstand?” (v. 21b).

The lamp is meant to be put in a place where the light shines clearly and fills the room.  And I believe that what Jesus means by this is that the light of revealed truth from God is not brought into the world to be hidden, but to be displayed.  He does not mean for it to be covered over and unavailable to people, but rather for it to shine and be seen.

Now, I hope I’m not taking things too far here; but it’s interesting to me that Jesus chose the particular things He refers to in saying that the light of the lamp is not to be obscured.  The basket He refers to is one that is used to measure out dry goods; and it brings to mind the idea of the market-place and daily work of this world.  Many people today are trying to enforce a strict separation from the light of God’s truth from the world of work and business.  But I would suggest that there’s hardly a more important place for the light of God’s truth to be shining but than in the work-place and in the midst of our daily labors.  The market-place is one place that desperately needs to be shined upon by the light of God’s revealed truth!

And He also says that it should not be hidden under the bed.  The bed is a very private place in the home; and many today are demanding that our faith be kept as private as possible—and out of the sight of our social interactions with other people.  But I would suggest that we must not hide our faith at home.  The light of God’s truth needs to be shining at home, to be sure; but it needs to go out of our homes and out in public—out into our everyday interactions in society.

Jesus said that we are the light of this world.  That’s what we are.  If we yield to the pressures of the unbelieving people around us, and try to hide our light in the key places of this world, then we are no longer behaving like what Jesus said we are.  We absolutely must let the light of God’s revealed truth “shine before men” in every area of life.

And we can do so with confidence.  Jesus the goes on to say;

For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light (v. 22).

There are a couple of ways to understand this.  It may be that Jesus is saying that though He Himself spoke in parables, and though the light of God’s revealed truth may have at times been ‘hidden’ and ‘kept secret’, it will not always be so.  Jesus, after all, called the truths He was teaching “the mystery of the kingdom of God”—truths that were, even then, being revealed.

But I think it’s possible to understand Jesus as saying that there is nothing of revealed truth that is ‘hidden’ by men that will not be revealed in spite of men, nor anything ‘kept secret’–or as the original language has it, ‘covered over’–by men that will not come to light in spite of men.  I think this because of what Jesus said to His followers on another occasion:

“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.  It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master.  If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household!  Therefore do not fear them.  For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known (Matthew 10:24-26).

Men who are hostile to the kingdom of God may try to hide God’s revealed truth from view; but when God has, as it were, brought His lamp in, the light must and will shine!  It is the word, not of mere men, but of almighty God; and whatever of it men may try to hide is nevertheless assured by God to be revealed, and whatever of it men may try to keep secret is nevertheless assured by God to come to light.  I like what Paul said in 2 Timothy 2:9; that he had been put in chains in a prison cell by men, “but the word of God is not chained.”

* * * * * * * * * *

Now; at the end of that, Jesus said,

“If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear” (v. 23).

And as I have suggested to you before, that is a sincere invitation.  It is a good-faith offer.  The revealed truth of God is made available—the light of the lamp of God’s truth has been made to shine high on the lampstand—and whoever wishes to hear it, and be saved by it, and be transformed by it, and grow from it, may do so.

And really, brothers and sisters in Christ; isn’t that a wonderful thing?  There isn’t a problem in our lives, or a need we can have, that God’s word doesn’t have the answer to.  Do you need to know how to be saved from sin?  God’s word tells Who to go to for that.  Do you need to conquer a sinful habit in life?  God’s word tells us how to do so.  Do you need direction and wisdom for decisions in life?  God’s word guides us, and lays out righteous paths for us.  And it is all available to us if we will only humble ourselves to Christ and avail ourselves to to the word.

But that’s when Jesus warns us that . . .

2.  THE LISTENER MUST BE CAREFUL TO HEAR THAT TRUTH RIGHTLY (vv. 24-25).

Mark goes on to tell us;

Then He said to them, “Take heed what you hear” (v. 24a).

Now; I was always taught in school not to mix my metaphors.  But I believe it’s alright when Jesus does it.  And He certainly seems to do so here.  He had just gotten through talking about lamps and light; and then—in the original language—He says, “Look carefully what you hear”.  I take that to mean that, even though the revealed truth of God is made plain and available to all, it is our responsibility to make sure that we do not hear it casually or carelessly.  Rather, we must listen with diligence and earnestness to what we hear.

I read something that an old Bible teacher from a few generations back once said.  He said that most people are more careful with their stomachs than they are with their heads.  He said that if you hand something to someone and tell them to eat it, they’ll look at it carefully first and say, “Well; what is it?”  They’ll examine it, and sniff at it—and if they don’t trust it, they won’t eat it.  If it falls on the floor, most people won’t care about the ten-second rule.  They won’t put it in their mouths.  But you can put just about any oddball idea or or unbiblical thought or vile image in front of most people—through the television, or on the Internet, or on the printed page—and they’ll let it right in to their heads.  We’re not to do that.  Let’s take heed what we eat, of course.  But let’s take even more heed what we hear.  Let’s make sure it’s in accord with God’s revealed truth.

And when it comes to God’s truth, let’s remember that we have the responsibility for how we do so.  Jesus said,

With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you . . .” (v. 24b).

If you treat your hearing of God’s word casually and indifferently—if you mentally check-out because you’ve heard it all before—then you will get the results that come from the kind of effort you put in.  But if you receive the word of God as just that—the word of God, and listen to it diligently and reverently; if you are careful to get the kind of sins and distractions out of your life that prevent you from hearing the word of God plainly; if you come to the Lord prayerfully and ask Him to instruction you; if you say, “Speak, Lord, for Your servant listens!”; if you do the hard work of study and analysis and memorization, then you will get the results that come from putting that kind of effort into it.

I like what the apostle Peter wrote about this.  Think of the way a baby desires milk.  It’s not casually and carelessly.  It’s passionately!  It’s with a singularity of focus!  Peter said;

Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious (1 Peter 2:1-3).

And note finally what Jesus says at the end of our passage.  There’s reward for doing it right; and there’s loss for doing it carelessly!  He says;

“and to you who hear, more will be given.  For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him” (vv. 24c-25).

You could say that there are two kinds of “having”.  There’s the kind of “having” in which you just have the revealed truth of God in your possession—that is, you have copies of the Bible, and you have good study aids, and you have good preaching and teaching, and all kinds of access to the things that enable you to understand it if you want to, and the sound of it reaches your ears and the light of it reaches your eyes.  But there’s a kind of “having” that’s deeper than that—that is, the kind in which it is received by you gratefully and reverently, and is allowed to reach down deep and change who you are and the way you live.  I think here of what Pastor James wrote;

Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.  But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.  For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.  But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does (James 1:21-25).

* * * * * * * * * *

I hope, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, that you’ll remember this little lamp that I brought to show you today.  It’s a reminder of how gracious God is to us in giving us a clear revelation of divine truth.  The light is there for us, if we will receive it.  It cannot be hidden.  But it is up to you and me how we will hear it; and whether or not we will hear it to good benefit in our lives.

May God help us to truly ‘watch’ how we hear!