[Jesus] said to them, 'Is a lamp brought in to be put under the bushel basket, or under the bed, and not on the lampstand? For there is nothing hidden, except to be disclosed; nor is anything secret, except to come to light. Let anyone with ears to hear listen!' And he said to them, 'Pay attention to what you hear; the measure you give will be the measure you get, and still more will be given you. For to those who have, more will be given; and from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.' He also said, 'The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.' He also said, 'With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.' With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples.
“Come to light” is the phrase that stands out today. Jesus continues to teach in the 4th chapter of Mark, and makes an argument for the proper use of light, insinuating that light isn’t any good to anyone or anything if it is hidden or isn’t used properly (under a basket or under a bed). However, if it is put on a lampstand, then it serves it’s purpose.
The passage continues to unfold in the same manner. Like the light, Jesus tells those he is teaching (we included) that we will be given a measure (Word). What we do with that measure… if we serve its purpose, then more will be given. However, if we ignore its purpose… if we have nothing, we will loose everything. More simply put, if we choose to ignore God’s word or if refuse to listen to God’s word, then we will loose an eternity with God.
Jesus continues with the agricultural imagery in his explanation of the Kingdom of God. He chooses the parable of the mustard seed. This continues the seed explanation from yesterday’s reflection about the seed cast on good soil. If the smallest of seeds can produce the greatest of shrubs with great, strong branches, then how much more could we do as receivers and cultivators of the Word. From the smallest amounts of the received and acted on Word of God, great things can come to build up the Kingdom of God. The passage says that Jesus continued to speak to his followers in parables, but explained everything to his disciples.
Today, I feel that the call is to make sure that God’s Word is heard and acted on. It is one thing to hear the Word and it’s another to put it into action. We can do this in our faith communities, in our families, and in our work places. I had a friend once that helped me think of my job as ministry, regardless of what it was. We should figure out how what we do brings glory to God and reconciles the world to Christ. This will help us bring meaning to our lives as we put God’s Word and God’s love into action.
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